Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
Klobuchar is one of eight co-sponsors of the bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2023
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the train derailment in Raymond, Minnesota.
“Americans should be able to sleep soundly without the fear that they will be woken in the middle of the night and told to evacuate their homes due to a train derailment. I first want to thank our firefighters and first responders for their quick action to help the citizens of Raymond. The Federal Railroad Administration is on the ground and the National Transportation Safety Board is launching an investigation of the derailment. I have spoken with Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as well as Raymond Mayor Ardell Tensen.
While I am glad that residents are back in their homes, this derailment underscores once again why we must pass federal rail safety legislation. As one of the eight co-sponsors of the bipartisan Railway Safety Act, and a lead questioner of the industry at last week’s Senate Commerce hearing, it is time to put in place higher rail safety standards, more accountability for violations, and better rail infrastructure.”
Klobuchar is a co-sponsor of the Railway Safety Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and JD Vance (R-OH) following the train derailment in East Palestine in February 2023. This legislation will make key updates to improve rail safety protocols, including increasing inspections on trains that carry hazardous materials, requiring rail carriers to have emergency response plans, and increasing penalties for rail companies when crashes happen.
###