Pennsylvania Rail Safety Legislation Clears House Vote

Critical railroad safety improvements are one step closer to becoming law in Pennsylvania after a bill cleared the state House of Representatives with bipartisan support.

Sponsored by Representative Rob Matzie (D-Beaver), House Bill 1191 would, among other things, prohibit trains from blocking crossings, limit train length to 8,500 feet, and require a minimum two-person crew (2-PC) on trains. The legislation also enforces proper functioning of wayside detector systems, a critical component in preventing derailments before they happen.

Bill is Part of a Nationwide Push for Rail Safety Legislation

Shortly after the third anniversary of the East Palestine derailment in February, multiple rail safety bills were filed in Congress to address lessons learned from the disaster so that history hopefully does not repeat itself.

As Representative Matzie explained in his remarks after the Pennsylvania House’s passage of the bill, “It’s been three years since the catastrophe in East Palestine. We can’t sit around and wait for that to happen again. [This bill] is a way we can start to reduce derailments and protect workers, first responders and community residents.”

This is the second time in three years that Representative Matzie has introduced rail safety-related legislation; a similar bill passed the House in 2023 but was never voted on in the Senate.

“It’s Time for the Senate to Step Up and Take Action”

As the bill awaits its first hearing in the State Senate, which will take place in the Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure Committee, Representative Matzie is calling on his fellow lawmakers in the upper chamber to act and take an important step forward to improve rail safety in the Commonwealth.

“Nothing has really changed since the 2023 accident, and there is every indication that resolutions to these problems will be left up to the states,” Matzie said. “It’s time for the Senate to step up and [take action].”