Railway Safety Act of 2026

The Railway Safety Act of 2026 builds on prior efforts to strengthen federal rail safety standards following the high-profile 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in Columbiana County, Ohio. The legislation requires use of defect detectors, expands hazardous materials train safety restrictions and ensures railcars are properly inspected and maintained. It maintains key provisions to support first responders, reforms the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness programs to ensure fire departments can purchase personal protective gear, requires railroads to tell states what materials trains are carrying through their communities and creates a program to make fire departments whole after responding to a derailment.

The new legislation includes a mandate for wayside defect detectors, an expanded list of hazardous materials subject to higher safety standards, and a two-person crew requirement. The bill requires hotbox detectors to be deployed an average of every 15 miles, compared to every 25 miles currently. If enacted, these measures would aim to prevent future derailments and protect communities and workers living and working near railroad tracks. The bill is currently under consideration by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.