On the two year anniversary of the tragic East Palestine derailment, the Ohio State Legislative Board of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen reflects on the action of our elected officials. Whether it be Vice President JD Vance and Senator Sherrod Brown immediately jumping to action to introduce the Rail Safety Act of 2023, our Ohio Legislature enacting critical policy throughout the 135th General Assembly, Congressman Rulli’s unwavering support for improving rail safety, we are so proud of the courage of Ohio’s leaders to stand up for the residents of East Palestine and hold Norfolk Southern accountable for the damages.
As a result, Ohio is simply put the safest state in the nation for rail activity. Every train operating in Ohio will have a crew of at least two individuals, allowing for immediate response to an incident on the rails – the crew on the 32N was able to separate the locomotives from the rest of the train, removing nearly 10,000 gallons of fuel from the already fiery scene. Ohio requires that railroads install and maintain wayside defect detectors along their routes, and more importantly that the railroads respond immediately to potential defects. Finally, Ohio enhanced their road crossing safety laws to address on-track equipment.
On behalf of the nearly 5,000 active and retired members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the greater Ohio Teamsters Rail Conference, thank you – we are proud to live in a state where our leaders believe in the importance of rail safety.