U.S. Lawmakers Push for Action to Prevent More Train Derailments

(KNSI) – Minnesota’s federal lawmakers are urging action to help prevent train disasters like the one seen last week in Raymond.

Senator Tina Smith spoke with KNSI News moments after touring the site and said there seems to be too many of these happening. “While this event here in Minnesota, was not nearly as dangerous as the one that we saw in East Palestine in Ohio, for example, it’s still really raises questions.”

Federal data showed there were around 1,000 derailments last year.

The Train Safety Act would create tougher standards for carrying hazardous materials. Smith explained the railcars in the crash were among the safest available. “The cars that were transporting the ethanol and corn syrup are a special kind of enhanced safety cars that make it much less likely that there would be an explosion if there was a derailment.”

The legislation would also impose stricter maintenance requirements and ensure train crews are properly staffed. The bill has been introduced in committee. Several other lawmakers, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, have signed on.

The deadline for all hazmat rail cars to be puncture resistant is set for May.

The Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad company said it would accept full accountability for the crash, which saw 22 BNSF cars derail and catch fire. Workers have started removing contaminated soil and damaged railcars left behind.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are in Raymond looking into what caused the wreck that caused the entire town of Raymond to be evacuated. Residents were allowed to return home by midday Thursday.

Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach met with local officials, BNSF Railway and NTSB staff, and first responders to discuss the derailment, see the scene first hand, and talk about the next steps. The Congresswoman thanked Senators Klobuchar and Smith and State Senator Andrew Lang for joining her. She also expressed her gratitude to State Representative Dave Baker, the City of Raymond, all of the first responders who arrived on the scene from across the region to help, and BNSF Railway and NTSB staff for their quick work, as well as Superintendent Jon De Groot with the Central Minnesota Christian School in Prinsburg and Pastor Steve Zwart and the Unity Christian Reformed Church in Prinsburg who opened their doors to shelter people and provide food, and Pastor Aaron Greydanus with the Raymond Christian Reformed Church who opened up their space to evacuees.

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