Garamendi, Deluzio, and Rulli Introduce Bipartisan Railway Safety Bill on Second Anniversary of Derailment

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative John Garamendi (D-CA-08), a senior member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, alongside Representatives Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17) and Michael Rulli (R-OH-06), introduced the bipartisan Railway Safety Act, commemorating the two-year anniversary of the Norfolk Souther train derailment. Building off their prior work, this updated bill includes a requirement that would mandate Congress to regularly provide updates on the status of the implementation of the safety recommendations in the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) final report.  

"Two years since the disastrous Norfolk Southern train derailment, there is finally a bipartisan solution that puts the safety of Americans first,” said Representative Garamendi, a senior member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “That’s why I’m proud to co-lead the Railway Safety Act, a crucial piece of legislation that will significantly enhance the safety standards for freight rail services. The faster Congress can pass this bipartisan bill, the safer our communities will be. I am committed to fighting for policies that will ensure that disasters like the East Palestine train derailment never happens again.” 

“It’s been two years since Norfolk Southern’s disastrous derailment in East Palestine, and communities that are close to the tracks are no safer now than they were on the day of that terrifying derailment,” said Congressman Deluzio. “We know we cannot trust the big railroads to regulate themselves. That’s why this Congress we have to pass strong rail safety requirements and implement the safety recommendations from the NTSB. We have a bipartisan solution on the table, and now is the time for all who are serious about protecting our communities to step up. I refuse to let communities like ours in Western PA get treated like collateral damage in the way of corporate profits.”    

"The Railway Safety Act of 2025 is a decisive and essential measure to fortify rail safety and protect communities along our nation’s railways," said Representative Rulli. "By enshrining the Federal Railroad Administration’s two-person crew rule into law, we are reinforcing critical safety standards and ensuring that vital protections are permanently upheld. This bipartisan legislation underscores our unwavering commitment to preventing catastrophic derailments and delivering the security and peace of mind that every American deserves."  

“Congress has yet to take significant rail safety action two years since the tragic East Palestine derailment and subsequent environmental disaster. This bill would dramatically improve freight rail safety standards and hold greedy railroad executives accountable when they prioritize short-term profits over safety and hardworking TWU members,” TWU International President John Samuelsen said. “The TWU strongly endorses the Railway Safety Act and urges Congress to swiftly pass this bill.” 

The Railway Safety Act of 2025 will institute requirements for wayside defect detectors, increase fines for wrongdoing committed by rail carriers, enhance safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials, establish a permanent requirement for railroads to operate with at least two-person crews, and more. New in the 2025 version, this measure will also require the Secretary to report to Congress every two years on how they are implementing the recommendations put forth in the NTSB’s final report on the East Palestine Derailment.  

The full text of the Railway Safety Act of 2025 is available here.   

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