Ohio Senate unanimously passes transportation budget; railroad safety improvements included

The Ohio Senate on Thursday moved the state a step closer to tighter railway safety restrictions when it unanimously passed the state’s transportation budget.

The $13.4 billion budget for state and local road and bridge construction, improvements, and repair maintenance also included rail safety guidelines like requiring wayside defect detectors every 10-15 miles.

The rail safety additions quickly became part of the budget following a Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that sent toxic chemicals in the air, ground and water.

“While regulating the railroad is mostly a function of the federal government, I’m confident these are strong steps to reinforce safety for trains that travel through our Ohio neighborhoods,” said Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima.

Along with the wayside detector regulation, the budget would require the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to study and submit a report within 90 days regarding the best practices for hot boxes and bearing temperature failure detectors and evaluate the need for cameras along tracks.

As previously reported by The Center Square, the National Transportation Safety Board, in its initial report, said an overheated wheel bearing caused the Norfolk Southern train to derail in East Palestine.

The crew on the train gets signals for temperatures of the wheel bearings as it moves. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said two heat indicators showed wheel bearing temperatures rising but not above warning levels. A third was significantly over the threshold.

“I’m pleased the Senate made these changes that are designed to find ways to improve railroad safety,” said Sen. Michael Rulli, R-Salem. “The derailment in East Palestine hurt the community immensely and will be felt by our neighbors there for years to come. We must do better.”

Ohio’s move comes a day after Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw agreed to support new safety measures proposed by Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, during U.S. Senate hearings on Vance’s proposed federal Railway Safety Act.

Shaw testified he wants more research done to determine the proper distance for between wayside detectors, and he supports a mandatory first responder notification of hazardous materials traveling through communities.