217.370.8505 cory@bletislb.org

McConnell stands in way of Brown, Vance victory on Rail Safety Act

The legislation would enhance safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials, requiring emergency response plans and stricter regulations to prevent wheel bearing failures. The failure of a sensor to alert the crew to an overheating wheel bearing was blamed for the disaster.

The legislation would require two-person crews for freight trains and would substantially increase fines for safety violations.
It would require the Federal Railroad Administration to oversee infrastructure improvements to railside defect detectors and prohibit issuing caps on inspection times to inspectors.

Amtrak announces another round of weather cancellations

CHICAGO — Amtrak has announced a significant number of cancellations beginning Thursday, Jan. 11, for long-distance and state-supported trains serving Chicago in anticipation of a major winter storm expected to hit the Midwest Friday and Saturday. The majority of...

Report: SCOTUS Passes on Ohio Grade Crossing Law Dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on Jan. 8 declined to consider Ohio’s bid “to enforce a state law that penalizes railroads if their trains block grade crossings for more than five minutes, turning away a case that sought further clarity on the scope of federal preemption concerning rail regulations,” according to Law360 Senior Reporter Linda Chiem.

Railroads to Investors: ‘We Got This’

In 2024, rail lobbyists, attorneys and influencers will toil to block costly rail safety legislation, derail a bill delimiting management operating-plan discretion and thwart unwelcome STB and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) decrees.
Topping challenges is the Rail Safety Act (S. 576), hastily born of populist politics following train mishaps, including a February 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that terrifyingly spilled and ignited hazardous chemicals—the cleanup costs approaching $1 billion