Victory in Colorado: SMART-TD Secures Permanent Funding for the Office of Railroad Safety 

DENVER, CO — May 6, 2025 

After more than two years of relentless organizing, lobbying, and standing firm in the face of corporate pushback, SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD) is proud to announce permanent funding for the Colorado Office of Railroad Safety. And make no mistake: the successful passage of Colorado State Bill SB25-162 is the direct result of relentless work by our union’s safety team. 

Carl Smith and the Colorado Safety Team Deliver Results 

State Legislative Director Carl Smith  was the driving force behind this landmark achievement. His leadership, grit, and tireless commitment guided this bill from conception to final passage. With the full support of SMART-TD’s Colorado State Safety and Legislative Board, Smith shepherded the legislation through two full sessions of Colorado’s legislative process. 

“Carl fought this battle for more than two years,” said Omar Ledesma, Colorado’s Alternate State Safety and Legislative Director. “It took a toll on all of us, and there were times when the odds were stacked against us. But Carl is the kind of leader who doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t get discouraged by setbacks. He gets results.” 

Colorado Creates a New Precedent for Railroad Safety 

The Colorado Office of Railroad Safety will be charged with collecting and analyzing safety data, including the impact of train length, crew size, and scheduling on accident rates—key areas the carriers and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) have consistently claimed lack “data to support.” 

Thanks to this legislation, SMART-TD will now have the data to push back both in Colorado and nationally. 

“Every time we push a rail safety bill, the carriers throw up their hands and say ‘there’s no data,’” said Smith. “Well, now there will be. This office is going to give us the ammunition we need to change not just the safety culture in Colorado, but nationally.” 

Carriers to Fund the Safety Office

In the final weeks of debate, some lawmakers floated outrageous amendments—including one that would have required railroad workers themselves to split the cost of operating the Safety Office. SMART-TD stood firm, and those amendments were defeated. 

Make no mistake: the railroads themselves will fund the Office of Railroad Safety, not the workers whose lives are on the line every day. That’s a principle that Smith, Ledesma, and the Colorado Board never backed down from. 

Safer Railroads a Union Effort from Start to Finish 

Brother Smith credited the union members for making this dream a reality: 

“I want to thank our legislative board, the lawmakers who believed in this mission, and most of all, the members of SMART-TD in Colorado. For over two years, I could count on them to write their representatives, show up in Denver to testify, and sit through committee hearings to make sure our union was felt in the halls of power. They should hold their heads high, because they made real, lasting change.” 

This Office will not only protect Colorado’s current rail workforce but also safeguard future generations from preventable tragedy.

SMART-TD Leads the Way in Safety Legislation 

While other labor organizations may now try to claim this hard-fought victory, let the record be crystal clear: this is SMART-TD’s bill. Brother Smith built the coalition. He and his board pushed it through every obstacle. SMART-TD didn’t just show up after the work was done; we did the work. 

As Carl Smith himself said on the Senate floor: “This wasn’t easy. But railroaders never ask for easy, but we demand safe.” 

Let’s also acknowledge those who’ve only now decided to appear: as the old saying goes, some folks are like a blister, they show up after the hard work is done. 

This victory belongs to SMART-TD and every railroader who stood up and demanded better. Colorado may be where this story starts, but its impact will be felt from coast to coast.