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Citing several late-2006 train derailments as a warning sign, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) recently announced plans to resume his quest for rail safety reforms in the 110th Congress. Schumer will re-introduce legislation in the Senate that would double the number of federal safety inspectors, impose tougher penalties on rail safety violations and direct millions of federal dollars toward rail infrastructure improvements.

To be co-sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the Rail Crossing and Hazardous Materials Transport Act would set more stringent minimum and maximum fines for fatal train accidents, and establish requirements for investigations, inspections and the use of new technologies to improve grade crossing and haz-mat safety. The bill also would create a grant program authorizing $50 million in federal funds for railroads and municipalities to improve rail infrastructure.

In addition, the legislation would set age restrictions for rail cars carrying hazardous materials, and mandate that all rail cars 15 years or older be inspected and meet federal requirements within one year, and be inspected and upgraded every 15 years.

Current rail safety measures aren’t adequately protecting the public and there are too many manual switches still in place, Schumer believes.

“The federal government is quite literally falling asleep at the switch when it comes to protecting our communities from deadly train derailments,” he said in a prepared statement. “What we need is a real plan to protect our communities and tougher penalties for railroad companies who disregard our safety.”

In February 2005, Schumer introduced the Railroad Crossing and Hazardous Materials Transport Safety Act of 2005 (S. 230), which died in the 109th Congress.