May 22, 2026
Washington D.C. – In a May 21 budget hearing of the U.S. House Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Sub-Committee, Republican Congressman David Joyce (OH-14) questioned U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy about the lack of Federal oversight governing Train Dispatch software systems.
In directly connecting the need for such oversight to rail disaster prevention, Joyce said, “In the wake of the East Palestine Derailment, rail safety and system resilience remain a major focus for communities surrounding my district and for Congress as a whole. One area has received less attention in this conversation is the software systems railroads use to dispatch and route trains through there. In 2024, the FRA stated there are currently no regulations supporting the oversight of train dispatching software. These computer-aided dispatch systems provide rail operators with real time information on train locations, track occupancy, and such. Given the rail industry’s growing reliance on these technologies, how is the Department (Department of Transportation) and the FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) evaluating the safety and resiliency of train dispatching software today?”
While Duffy indicated that he was not positioned to provide an immediate response, he did promise to investigate and revisit the issue, “In the software, I don’t have an answer for you right now, but I will take a look at that, and I could circle back to you with FRA.”
Duffy then went on to acknowledge the potential impact of Dispatch Software oversight as integral to the broader rail safety effort, while himself connecting the issue to disaster prevention in the wake of East Palestine, “But you know, rail safety, and we saw with East Palestine how tragic that was and the long term implications, and one of the things I think we do actually very well whether it’s in whatever our mode of transportation we’re talking about, when bad things happen and we don’t want that, because we’re safety driven. But we actually learn from what’s happened and try to improve our systems, so we don’t make the same mistakes over and over again. We continue to get safer with better policy and better equipment.”
Joyce further pressed Duffy on the issue, however, by reinforcing the importance of Dispatch System software specifically, rather than just rail safety initiatives in general, “Well, you know this is one of the things that is being bantered about now and downstairs in the T&I hearing. But should additional federal standards, oversight, and reporting mechanisms be considered by the department, or Congress, to help prevent widespread operational disruptions and strengthen rail safety?”
Duffy’s response once again pointed back to the broader effort, but did not address Joyce’s concern about the lack of Dispatch System oversight, “I think there’s a lot that can be done in this body when you look at rail safety, and there’s the Rail Safety Act, I know which is being considered right now. Is it downstairs? Is that where this is happening? I don’t know where the financial services room is. Yeah, I know that’s being considered right now, but there’s a lot we can do to continue to drive safety and its, rail is one of these things you can forget about if you don’t’, if you don’t work in it, or you don’t have rail close to you. But it’s critical whether it’s shipping or rail, the country doesn’t work without these important modes of transportation. So, I’m interested to see what the Committee does, and how they consider the Rail Safety Act. There are a lot of good things in there.”
The American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA) remains concerned with the lack of regulation governing the development, testing, and implementation of Train Dispatch Software & Systems. As Congressman Joyce himself stated, Railroads are increasingly dependent on such systems, which means the American public is increasingly exposed to the potential for disaster should they malfunction.
At the same time, it is encouraging that the issue is gaining more attention from Congressman Joyce and others on Capitol Hill. The Rail Safety Act and the broader rail safety effort are both critically important, but Joyce is also correct that they cannot adequately accomplish their intended purpose if a blind eye is turned to improperly tested and hastily implemented Train Dispatch software systems.
So, ATDA applauds Joyce and the other lawmakers who are pushing for this needed change, but will also continue to champion the issue on behalf of both its members and the interest of public safety. The organization continues to amplify its efforts in this regard, and through its Director of Government Affairs Jeffrey Robb, it’s voice is rising within the American legislative arena.
