A year after Ohio train derailment: Has anything changed in rail safety?

It has been a year since the Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, and according to legislators, rail workers and residents of the small town, little to no progress has been made.

In fact, derailments by railroads went up by 13% between February and October 2023, per a Wall Street Journal analysis.

The Railway Safety Act—a bipartisan proposal aimed at enhancing rail inspections, improving derailment-detection technology, and ensuring greater safeguards for hazardous materials—has stalled in the Senate.

Why?
Despite public pledges to work with lawmakers, Norfolk Southern and other major rail operators have reportedly sought to weaken or eliminate key provisions of the bill.

The industry lobby, coupled with campaign contributions, has slowed legislative progress, leaving Congress unable to vote on rail safety measures.

However, there has been little improvement, including increased rest for workers and installing more safety sensors. The railroad executives are more focused on safety due to the $1.1 billion loss incurred by Norfolk Southern as a result of the East Palestine incident.

As for East Palestine, concerns about health and contamination persist among residents.

Last year in February, roughly a million gallons of toxic chemicals spilled into the area, prompting the evacuation of residents. The ordeal cost millions of dollars in cleanup and losses and brought immediate attention to US railroad safety.