Rep. Troy E. Nehls and Congressman Seth Moulton Introduce Legislation to Enhance Rail Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C. -Today, Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22) and Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA-06) introduced the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2026. This legislation incorporates components of the Railway Safety Act of 2024, which was introduced by then Senator JD Vance (R-OH).

"As a member of the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials subcommittee, I am proud to work with Congressman Seth Moulton to introduce the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2026," said Congressman Nehls. "This bipartisan legislation enhances safety programs and modernizes critical protections to ensure our rail infrastructure operates safely and efficiently. I appreciate Congressman Moulton's partnership on this bipartisan effort, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to move this legislation forward."

"Every community that a freight train passes through-such as East Palestine, Ohio-deserves to know that strong safety standards are in place, especially when hazardous materials are onboard," said Congressman Moulton. "Our bipartisan legislation will strengthen inspections, improve emergency preparedness, and modernize safety requirements so that we can better protect families, workers, and communities across the country. This industry is the lifeblood of American commerce and a major source of jobs, but it can and must be better."

The Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2026 consists of:

C3RS Requirement:

• Requires all Class 1 railroads and Amtrak to enroll in the Confidential Close Call Reporting System ("C3RS") for two years.
• This program is run by an independent third party, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and allows railroads and their employees to report close calls, unsafe incidents, and share information industry-wide on best practices without fear of reprisal from management. It also prevents the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) enforcement for events reported.

ASKRAIL:

• The ASKRAIL app is a mobile application used by first responders in collaboration with Class 1 railroads. It allows first responders to access accurate data about which hazardous materials a railcar is carrying so they can make informed decisions on how to respond to incidents. First responders must have accurate information about what they expect they will be fighting when reaching a scene.
• Requires the State Department of Transportations' eligible for specific grants to notify first responders in their state about the existence of the app and to certify to the FRA that they have completed this requirement. Because derailments often occur in remote and isolated areas, service for the application can be unreliable.
• Creates the ASKRAIL Connectivity Pilot Program and authorizes $25 million per year. The pilot program creates a competitive bidding process to provide service in areas along the national rail network in most need of connectivity.

Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program:

• Authorizes an additional $1 billion on top of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) advanced appropriations funding.
• According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), during Congressional Testimony, rail crossings are the most dangerous part of America's rail network, in part because this is where our nation's highway and rail systems meet. Removing as many rail crossings as possible will help reduce deaths and relieve congestion in the rail network.

Read the entire bill HERE.