Sens Josh Hawley and Tammy Baldwin Prove Again Why SMART-TD Endorsed

Rail safety momentum is building in Washington, D.C., and SMART-TD members are seeing the results.

This week, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the bipartisan Secure Tracks Act, legislation designed to protect one of the most important safeguards on the railroad: the integrity of the rails beneath us.

SMART-TD is proud to endorse this bill and stands with Senators Hawley and Baldwin as they lead the push for safer railroads.

The bill reinforces a simple principle. Technology can HELP railroad workers do their jobs, but it sure as hell cannot replace us.

Why The Bill Matters for SMART-TD Members

Under the Secure Tracks Act, railroads would be required to continue conducting regularly scheduled visual inspections performed by trained human inspectors, while allowing Automated Track Inspection (ATI) technology to serve as a supplemental tool. The legislation would also prevent federal regulators from granting waivers that allow rail carriers to run around the law. It essentially blocks the railroads’ effort to replace human inspections with automated systems that cannot detect the full range of track defects.

For SMART-TD members, that protection matters.

Engineers and conductors operate thousands of trains every day across a rail network that moves heavy freight, hazardous materials, and passengers through communities across the country. The safety of those operations begins with the integrity of the rail beneath our train.

SMART-TD has consistently warned that rail carriers are attempting to use automation not as a safety enhancement, but to reduce manpower. Automated inspection systems can identify only a fraction of the defect types that trained human inspectors routinely detect in the field.

That is why SMART-TD has been clear from the beginning: technology should support railroad workers, not replace them.

The Secure Tracks Act reflects our lived reality.

Putting Rail Safety Over Politics

Just as important as the bill itself is the bipartisan leadership behind it. SMART-TD is proud to point out that both Senator Baldwin and Hawley earned our union’s endorsement in the 2024 election cycle, a decision that was notably met with pushback.

When two of our allies cross the aisle to move the safety of our brothers and sisters forward, it is a proud moment for SMART-TD. Your union does not choose allies based on the letter that’s next to a name. We will work with anyone who is willing to stand up for the safety of the men and women who move America’s freight.

Both Senator Baldwin and Senator Hawley have demonstrated that commitment.

Senator Baldwin has been a consistent partner with rail labor, supporting and authoring legislation aimed at improving rail safety and holding carriers accountable. Senator Hawley also consistently supports railroad workers on major safety issues affecting the industry. He notably stands with us on paid sick time and was an ally in passing the Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness (REEF) Act in 2025.

Their partnership on the Secure Tracks Act sends a clear message that SMART-TD has been advocating for years: rail safety is NOT a partisan issue.

Our members helped build the momentum behind efforts like this by speaking up, educating their lawmakers, and making clear that weakening inspection standards puts railroad workers and communities at risk.

The Secure Tracks Act moves the industry in the right direction by reaffirming that trained railroad professionals must remain at the center of track inspections. That standard protects railroad workers, the communities we serve, and the integrity of the national rail network.