Rail Safety Legislation Chugs Forward After Passing Committee as Part of Omnibus Transportation Bill

(KNSI) — A new railroad safety bill is chugging forward after passing through a state senate committee as part of an omnibus transportation bill.

Current requirements concentrate on fire department response, but Rockville area Senator Jeff Howe who is on the Senate Transportation Committee and a former firefighter, says this legislation would include emergency managers in the response and put guidelines in place for exactly what they need to do. In short, the goal is to get as many departments and agencies included in responding to a train disaster up to speed as quickly as possible.

The bill was already under consideration before last week’s derailment in Raymond, where 22 cars went off the track, including several carrying ethanol. Some of those cars caught fire, and the entire town was evacuated.

Howe voted in support of the bill but admitted that he disagreed with some things in it. For example, increasing fees for maintaining railways and pipelines. Howe says he has doubts about crew size requirements, too.

“It actually gets involved in some of the union stuff and minimum crew size that I don’t think is going to be a big help, because I think most of the stuff is automated.”

The bill has a long way to go, but it’s still on track. It has to get through more committees and a reconciliation process before it heads to the governor’s desk.

Minnesota’s federal lawmakers are also urging action to help prevent train disasters like the one seen last week in Raymond. The Train Safety Act would create tougher standards for carrying hazardous materials, impose stricter maintenance requirements and ensure train crews are properly staffed.

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