Hinchey bill to require freight rail safety inspections passes in Senate

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Print
(c) Mid-Hudson News Network

ALBANY – State Senator Michelle Hinchey’s (D, Saugerties) bill requiring comprehensive safety inspections of trains prior to their departure on state railways has passed in the Senate and moved on the Assembly for action.

The measure is part of a package of legislation to advance freight rail safety in New York.

Currently, railroad companies rely solely on live video footage rather than on-site railroad safety inspectors to assess the condition of rail infrastructure and freight trains, leaving the state with no way of knowing how meticulously those feeds are monitored for potential safety issues, the lawmaker said.

Her bill requires that every railroad corporation operating freight trains in the state must also have a minimum, of two train inspectors conducting in-person safety examinations before and during a train’s departure, including assessments of the tracks, wheels, brakes, and bearings.

The bill also authorizes the State Department of Transportation to compare the inspections conducted by railway companies at their site of origin with the enhanced state safety inspections required by Hinchey’s measure before a freight train continues its trip out of the railyard.




Popular Stories