Issues & Modes / Railroads
Short Line Railroads’ Environmental Push
Mar 21, 2023 | Jo StrangShort line railroads touch one out of every five cars moving on the national railroad system, serving customers who otherwise would be...
Bipartisan Push for Increasing Safety Regulation at the Recent Senate Hearing on Ohio Train Derailment
Mar 10, 2023 | Anusha ChitturiThe Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing on March 9 on the recent derailment of railcars carrying hazardous...
Pipeline Safety Takes Center Stage
Mar 10, 2023 | Philip PlotchOn March 8, a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee held a hearing in Washington, D.C. to discuss pipeline safety. In the...
Pete Buttigieg’s presidential Hopes Make Him an Easy Target for Republicans — and his Slow Response in Ohio Gave Them Plenty of Ammo
Mar 01, 2023 | Jeff Davis"Because we've never had a secretary who had national political ambitions before, people are treating him a little more differently...
Buttigieg Bashing Over Response to Ohio Derailment Turns Bipartisan
Feb 24, 2023 | Karen PriceOhio Residents Say It’s ‘Absurd’ to Blame Donald Trump for Train Derailment
Feb 24, 2023 | Karen PriceDerailments aren’t uncommon, but hazmat spills are rare. Here’s what we know.
Feb 24, 2023 | Karen Price
NTSB Issues Initial Report on Ohio Train Derailment
Feb 24, 2023 | Jeff DavisThe National Transportation Safety Board yesterday released its preliminary report on the derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight...
Biden Promises Future Tunnel Funding Without Actually Making Grants
Feb 03, 2023 | Jeff DavisPoliticians holding big public events in association with funding grant announcements for high-profile projects are as old as funding...
From Washington: President Biden’s Pick For New Chief Of Staff
Jan 28, 2023 | Robert PuentesPresident and CEO of Eno Center for Transportation and Brookings Metro Non-Resident Senior Fellow Robert Puentes discusses the current...
Senate Confirms Primus to New STB Term, but Amtrak Nominees Will Wait Until Next Year
Dec 21, 2022 | Jeff DavisAs part of last night's 10 p.m. Senate "wrap-up" activities, the Senate confirmed, by unanimous consent, the nomination of Robert...
FRA Invites Applicants for First $2.3B of Non-NEC Intercity Rail Funding
Dec 09, 2022 | Jeff DavisIn terms of giant breaks with precedent, the dollar amount in the bipartisan infrastructure bill that most stood out was the guaranteed...
Railroads are among the safest modes of transportation for workers, riders, and the public. Strong federal standards for railroad track and operations, technological investments like positive train control, and communities’ infrastructure improvements have yielded significant gains. But most of these gains have plateaued and in some cases safety trends are moving in the wrong direction. A new strategy and framework is needed to address the most significant safety issues facing railroads. This report explores trends in railroad safety data and actionable recommendations for federal, state, local, and private sector actors to make a demonstrable improvement in railroad safety.