The Railway Safety Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate on February 24, 2026, by Senators Jon Husted (R-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). The proposed legislation closely follows earlier bipartisan efforts led by former Senators J.D. Vance and Sherrod Brown of Ohio, which had passed through the Senate Commerce Committee and received support from both President Biden and President Trump.
The bill is a response to increasing safety concerns within the rail industry. Recent data shows that derailments per million train miles have risen among major Class I railroads, along with an uptick in yard derailments. The IAM Rail Division—which includes IAM District 19, the Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM), and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC) Division—has been raising concerns about unsafe practices for years, particularly regarding trains leaving yards with known safety defects.
Key provisions of the Railway Safety Act include closing loopholes to ensure only highly-trained Carmen perform pre-departure mechanical safety inspections, prohibiting strict time limits on these inspections, requiring qualified mechanical inspectors for locomotive checks, mandating at least two crew members on every Class I freight train, regulating critical wayside detector technology use, and improving community and first responder safety.
Josh Hartford, Special Assistant to the International President for the IAM Rail Division, stated: “IAM Rail Division members see firsthand the consequences of precision-scheduled railroading and Wall Street-driven cost cutting that have hollowed out safety practices across this industry. This legislation restores common-sense safety standards by ensuring that trained, qualified railroaders — not the lowest-cost alternative — are performing critical inspections. Our members have been raising these concerns for years. Congress must move swiftly to advance this bill and put safety ahead of corporate profits.”
Matt Hollis, National President of TCU/IAM, said: “I’d like to thank this bipartisan group of Senators for introducing the Railway Safety Act in the Senate. TCU has been advocating for this legislation for years. It’s time for Congress to act and pass this bill to not only ensure our members can perform the jobs they are trained to do, but to improve the safety and reduce the risk of another East Palestine for every community that our trains roll through.”
Don Grissom, General President of BRC Division, commented: “This legislation is important to every Carman at every Class I railroad. Every safety-sensitive industry knows how important it is to have the right person doing the right job. This bill does just that. Right this minute we have unsafe trains that have not been properly inspected rolling through communities. Statistically, it is very likely that either today or tomorrow there will be a derailment in this country that could’ve been prevented if our Carmen are simply allowed to do their job. That should scare the hell out of everyone. It’s time for Congress to step in.”
Reece Murtagh, IAM District 19 President and Directing General Chair added: “On the ground, our members are being pressured every day to rush inspections or allow trains to depart with known defects. The Railway Safety Act reinforces what railroaders have always known: thorough inspections by skilled Carmen and Machinists save lives and prevent disasters. Congress must act to protect railroad workers and the communities we serve.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers represents around 600,000 active and retired members across several industries including aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroads, transit systems, healthcare sectors, automotive fields throughout North America.
