III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 356 

Expressing support for the designation of the week of September 18 through 

September 24, 2023, as ‘‘Rail Safety Week’’ in the United States and 

supporting the goals and ideals of Rail Safety Week to reduce highwayrail grade crossing and trespasser-related incidents, fatalities, and injuries, reduce derailments, improve the safe transportation of hazardous 

materials by rail, and prevent rail worker fatalities. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023 

Ms. CANTWELL (for herself, Mr. VANCE, Mr. BROWN, Mr. CASEY, and Mr. 

FETTERMAN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the designation of the week of September 18 through September 24, 2023, as ‘‘Rail Safety 

Week’’ in the United States and supporting the goals 

and ideals of Rail Safety Week to reduce highway-rail 

grade crossing and trespasser-related incidents, fatalities, 

and injuries, reduce derailments, improve the safe transportation of hazardous materials by rail, and prevent 

rail worker fatalities. 

Whereas the first Rail Safety Week was held from September 

24 through September 30, 2017, by the national education safety nonprofit organization Operation Lifesaver, 


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•SRES 356 IS 

the Department of Transportation, and other organizations; 

Whereas Rail Safety Week was launched to raise awareness 

about the need for increased education on how to be safe 

around highway-rail grade crossings and railroad tracks 

and to highlight efforts to further reduce collisions, injuries, and fatalities; 

Whereas highway-rail grade crossing and trespassing incidents constituted approximately 94 percent of all rail-related fatalities during 2022; 

Whereas, under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 

(Public Law 117–58; 135 Stat. 429), Congress provided 

$3,000,000,000 during a 5-year period for the Railroad 

Crossing Elimination grant program to help local communities construct highway-rail grade separation projects to 

eliminate crossings; 

Whereas, in 2022, 50 percent of all highway-rail grade crossing collisions and 64 percent of all fatal highway-rail 

grade crossing collisions occurred at gated highway-rail 

grade crossings; 

Whereas preliminary Federal statistics indicate that 2,197 

highway-grade crossing collisions occurred in the United 

States in 2022, resulting in 274 deaths and another 812 

individuals being injured; 

Whereas many collisions between trains and motor vehicles or 

pedestrians could have been prevented by increased education, engineering, and enforcement; 

Whereas Operation Lifesaver, the foremost nonprofit organization with respect to rail safety, administers a public 

education program about grade-crossing safety and trespassing prevention; 


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•SRES 356 IS 

Whereas, during Rail Safety Week, from September 18 

through 24, 2023, and throughout the year, everyone is 

encouraged to take added caution as motorists or pedestrians approach tracks or trains; 

Whereas the February 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which resulted in the 

burning of 6 vinyl chloride tank cars and forced the evacuation of approximately 2,000 nearby residents, was a reminder of the risks posed by hazardous materials transportation; 

Whereas preliminary 2022 Federal statistics indicate that— 

(1) Class I freight railroads had the highest derailment rate in the past decade; 

(2) the number of derailments per 1,000,000 miles 

traveled among Class I freight railroads has increased by 

14 percent since 2012; and 

(3) more than 43,000 rail workers have been injured 

and 135 rail workers have been killed on duty since 

2012; 

Whereas the United States, Canada, and Mexico will concurrently observe Rail Safety Week; and 

Whereas this important observance should lead to greater 

safety awareness and a reduction in highway-rail grade 

crossing collisions, derailments, rail worker fatalities, and 

other railroad incidents: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘Rail Safety 

3 Week’’; 

4 (2) expresses strong support for— 


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•SRES 356 IS 

1 (A) the goals and ideals of Rail Safety 

2 Week; 

3 (B) efforts to reduce highway-rail grade 

4 crossing and trespasser-related incidents, fatali5 ties, and injuries; 

6 (C) efforts by the Federal Railroad Admin7 istration to improve safety cultures at Class I 

8 freight railroads; 

9 (D) efforts by the National Transportation 

10 Safety Board to investigate the February 3, 

11 2023, Norfolk Southern derailment in East Pal12 estine, Ohio, and the safety culture at Norfolk 

13 Southern; 

14 (E) the residents of East Palestine, Ohio, 

15 Western Pennsylvania, and all other commu16 nities impacted by the derailment and release of 

17 hazardous materials on February 3, 2023; 

18 (F) the brave actions of first responders 

19 who combat releases of hazardous materials 

20 across the United States, including the brave 

21 actions of the more than 300 firefighters from 

22 50 fire departments who responded to the Feb23 ruary 3, 2023, derailment in East Palestine, 

24 Ohio; and 


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•SRES 356 IS 

1 (G) rail workers who have died or been in2 jured while working to keep people and goods 

3 moving throughout the United States and the 

4 families of those rail workers; and 

5 (3) encourages the people of the United 

6 States— 

7 (A) to participate in Rail Safety Week 

8 events and activities; 

9 (B) to educate themselves and others on 

10 how to be safe around railroad tracks; and 

11 (C) to support efforts to improve the safe 

12 transportation of hazardous material by rail. 

Æ 


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