Rep. Summer Lee Introduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Rail Bridge Safety and Transparency Act with Turtle Creek Valley COG, ACE, PennEnvironment
For Immediate Release
Vaibhav Vijay, Vaibhav.Vijay@mail.house.gov
Kyla Gill, Kyla.Gill@mail.house.gov
Rep. Summer Lee Introduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Rail Bridge Safety and Transparency Act with Turtle Creek Valley COG, ACE, PennEnvironment
Rep. Lee Holds Press Conference in the Mon Valley Highlighting the Necessity for Safe Rail Bridges in Preventing Further Pollution in Our Communities
Turtle Creek, PA – Today, Rep. Summer L. Lee (D-PA) introduced the Rail Bridge Safety and Transparency Act at a press conference in the heart of the Mon Valley, where she was joined by local leaders from Turtle Creek Valley COG, Allegheny County Economic Development, and PennEnvironment. This groundbreaking legislation is designed to address the pressing need for enhanced safety measures and transparency for the nation’s rail bridges. With bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, the bill aims to ensure the reliability and safety of over 100,000 railroad bridges across the United States. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.
“Too many times, we’ve seen the disastrous consequences of railroad companies shirking their duty to maintain structurally sound bridges. No longer should we allow communities riddled with these deteriorating, privately owned structures to be kept in the dark, waiting for a catastrophe to unfold,” said Rep. Summer Lee. “The Rail Bridge Safety and Transparency Act will provide long overdue oversight of rail companies’ maintenance and inspection actions, holding them accountable for higher safety standards and demanding they prioritize public safety over secrecy and profits.”
Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), who joined Rep. Lee as a co-lead in the House, emphasized the importance of oversight: “The railroads have a responsibility to maintain their bridges and infrastructure that crisscross our communities—a responsibility that they have, for too long, ignored. I’m proud to support the Rail Bridge Safety and Transparency Act to strengthen oversight of the upkeep and inspections of these bridges. We need common-sense safety measures that protect our communities.”
“The Commonwealth knows all too well how loose safety standards can cause train derailments and threaten communities. This bill is another step to raise safety standards, hold big rail companies accountable, and protect communities from preventable tragedies,” said Senator Casey, who introduced the Senate companion bill in August. “I will keep fighting for rail safety and will push for the Railway Safety Act for as long as it takes.”
The Rail Bridge Safety and Transparency Act is cosponsored by Representatives Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR05), Timothy M. Kennedy (D-NY26), Daniel S. Goldman (D-NY10), Gwen Moore (D-WI04), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC00), Barbara Lee (D-CA12), Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL03), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI12), Julia Brownley (D-CA26), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY14), Ro Khanna (D-CA17), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ12), Troy A. Carter (D-LA02), Andrea Salinas (D-OR06), Dina Titus (D-NV01), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson Jr. (D-GA04), Cori Bush (D-MO01), Jesus G. “Chuy” Garcia (D-IL04), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL13), and Steve Cohen (D-TN09).
The Rail Bridge Safety and Transparency Act is endorsed by the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Division (TTD), the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED), the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD), the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), and the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers (IW).
Background on the Rail Bridge Safety Crisis
There are over 100,000 railroad bridges in the U.S., ensuring that rail service can connect communities across rivers, lakes, highways, and valleys. Despite their importance, however, rail bridges are not subject to significant oversight or inspection. Railroad companies are allowed to inspect their own bridges based on their own guidelines, which are informed by only loose standards from the Department of Transportation (DOT). The results of these inspections are often inaccessible to the public, and if communities have an unsafe rail bridge in their area, they have little recourse to have these concerns investigated.
Several recent incidents have highlighted the need for enhanced safety measures to ensure the reliability of these critical structures. In June 2023, a bridge owned by Montana Rail Link collapsed, spilling molten sulfur and asphalt petroleum liquid into the river below. In October 2023, a BNSF-owned bridge collapsed in Colorado, causing a derailment that killed a truck driver below. These incidents are only a few examples of the urgent need for action.
The Rail Bridge Safety and Transparency Act would establish minimum safety standards for railroad bridges, improve the quality of inspections, and create a public database where residents can readily obtain information regarding the safety of rail bridges in their communities. The bill also empowers locals to report unsafe bridges and mandates that the Department of Transportation investigate these reports. Specifically, the bill:
- Establishes minimum structural and safety standards for railroad bridges and requires railroad companies to inspect their bridges in line with these standards, reporting findings to DOT.
- Requires randomized audits of rail bridge conditions and authorizes DOT to seek corrective actions if discrepancies are found between audit findings and a rail carrier’s inspection report.
- Directs DOT to create a public database where residents can access rail bridge inspection reports and report concerns about unsafe bridges, streamlining the process for investigations.
The Rail Bridge Safety and Transparency Act is endorsed by the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Division, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and other key labor organizations.
For more information, you can view the full text of the bill here.
Since taking office in January 2023, Lee, who serves on the House Oversight Committee and Space, Science and Technology Committee, has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $1.85 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs. Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 2,300 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.