Three years ago, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The impact was devastating for families and communities across the region. The cleanup bill for that single accident has now surpassed $2.2 billion. And that figure doesn’t begin to capture the lost productivity, diminished property values, or the emotional toll borne by a shaken community.
We come from different parties, but we served Ohio together in Congress. And as Ohioans, we have seen firsthand the destruction when rail safety goes wrong.
That’s why we are encouraged to see Vice President JD Vance and the Trump administration keeping rail safety at the top of the national agenda. This focus is not new for Vance. He was one of the original sponsors of the Railway Safety Act while he represented Ohio in the Senate. The reintroduction of that legislation this year as a bipartisan effort, led by Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Jon Husted (R-OH) with co-sponsors from both parties, reflects exactly the kind of serious, sustained attention this issue deserves.
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However, recent commentary from the Washington Post editorial board and the think tank Advancing American Freedom has criticized the Trump administration and Vance for promoting the idea of any new rail regulation. They correctly note that the technology has already helped reduce certain types of incidents over time. That’s true, and it’s genuinely good news. But progress made is not a reason to accept the status quo as good enough. A system that still sees well over 1,000 accidents a year can still do far better as technology advances. And the argument that things are better than they used to be was cold comfort to the people of East Palestine.
Ohio has more rail miles than most states, and freight rail is a backbone of our economy. It moves our agricultural products, our manufactured goods, our raw materials. Risks can never be lowered to zero, but we cannot afford to dismiss entire communities that are forced to pay the price of accidents. As the conflict with Iran and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz have reminded Americans, secure supply chains are a national security imperative, not a luxury. The goods that move on America’s rails — chemicals, energy products, food, defense materials — are the lifeblood of a functioning economy and a strong military posture. Vulnerabilities in our rail network are vulnerabilities in our national readiness.
This is not just a debate between more regulation and less. It is a debate about smarter regulation. The current legislative effort points in the right direction: deploying defect-detection technology that can stop a compromised train before disaster strikes, ensuring first responders who put their health on the line at derailment sites are made whole, and giving fire departments the resources and protective gear they need to do the job safely. These are not radical ideas. They are common sense, and they deserve a serious hearing.
Critics sometimes suggest that new safety requirements are bad for business. But many of the industries most dependent on rail are supportive of reform. Rail-dependent businesses understand that a catastrophic derailment disrupts supply chains, drives up costs, and shakes confidence across the entire network. With every disaster prevented, there is an immeasurable return on investment for our economy, our health, and our national security. Safety and economic interests are not opposing goals.
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No piece of legislation is fully formed when it’s introduced, and it’s important to incorporate the feedback of key stakeholders. The Railway Safety Act deserves genuine debate, careful amendment, and the full scrutiny of the legislative process. Rail safety regulations passed by Congress — the people’s elected representatives — carry a durability that executive rules simply cannot. When Congress acts, industries can make long-term investments with real confidence. That certainty has economic value in its own right.
Despite the critics, the Trump administration is right to treat this as a priority. For the sake of East Palestine and many communities across the country, it’s time for Congress to meet the moment.
Brad Wenstrup is a former Republican U.S. congressman from Ohio.
Tim Ryan is a former Democratic U.S. congressman from Ohio.
