February 25, 2026
February 25, 2026 - The American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) proudly supports the bipartisan reintroduction of the Railway Safety Act of 2026 (RSA) in the United States Senate.
In the three years since the catastrophic Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Congress has made multiple attempts to advance comprehensive rail safety legislation. The Railway Safety Act of 2026 builds upon the original bipartisan framework first introduced by now-Vice President J.D. Vance and former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, advancing long-needed reforms to strengthen protections for railroad workers and the communities through which railroads operate.
The legislation includes critical safety provisions such as:
ATDA President Ed Dowell applauded the bill’s reintroduction, stating, “The American Train Dispatchers Association strongly endorses the long-overdue bipartisan reintroduction of the Railway Safety Act of 2026. In the three years since the preventable East Palestine, Ohio disaster, our members have continued to operate in an environment that demands rigorous oversight and reform. This legislation represents a vital commitment to the men and women who keep our nation’s railways moving and to the communities through which trains travel. We cannot afford further delays in enacting these and other commonsense measures that prioritize safety over expediency. The RSA directly addresses key operational risks that threaten our industry, and I urge Congress and the White House to act now.”
The Bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2026 is led by Senator Jon Husted (R-OH) and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), with cosponsors including Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), and John Fetterman (D-PA).
