US railroad agency, safety board chair to testify at U.S. House hearing

(Reuters) - The head of the Federal Railroad Administration, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board and senior pipeline safety agency official will testify at a July 23 U.S. House subcommittee hearing on rail safety.

In May 2023, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee passed sweeping rail safety reform legislation in the aftermath of the February 2023 derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio that forced residents to temporarily abandon their homes after the train caught fire and released over 1 million gallons of hazardous materials and pollutants but there has been little movement since.

Last week, bipartisan legislation was introduced in the House that is nearly identical to the bill passed by the Senate committee but its fate remains unclear in Congress.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, FRA Administrator Amit Bose and Tristan Brown, deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, are among those that will testify along with two rail union officials.

On Friday, the FRA published its derailment investigation, finding it was caused by a roller bearing that failed due to overheating, consistent with the NTSB findings, adding the railroad's "procedures and the inadequate staffing for communicating information" may have contributed to the accident. 

The Senate bill would mandate technology that can identify equipment failures; prevent cursory railcar inspections; and require stronger safety regulations for trains carrying explosive material like the Ohio train. It would increase maximum civil penalties from $225,455 to $10 million for serious rail safety violations, and require two crew members to operate a train. 

The NTSB recommendations include improving rail defect detection systems, modernizing nationwide tank car fleets, and getting real-time rail safety information to emergency responders.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Friday "we are taking action on the NTSB’s recommendations, but we also now need Congress to do its part to enhance rail safety and hold the railroads accountable by passing much-needed legislation."

(Reporting by David Shepardson)