Blumenthal To Chair Hearing On Rail Safety
March 6 Hearing Will Be The First Blumenthal Will Hold As Chairman Of The Commerce Subcommittee On Surface Transportation And Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, And Security
(Washington, DC) – Today, on the same day he was announced as the chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) announced that the subcommittee’s first hearing of his chairmanship will be held at 11 AM on Thursday, March 6. The hearing, which will be titled “Enhancing Our Rail Safety: Current Challenges for Passenger and Freight Rail,” will examine the current state of safety on the nation’s passenger and freight rail networks, including a discussion of recent high-profile rail accidents, positive train control implementation, and other key safety challenges.
“This hearing is an opportunity for my colleagues and me to rethink passenger and freight rail safety,” Blumenthal said. “While recent rail safety trends are encouraging, incidents in New York, North Dakota, Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, New York and my home state of Connecticut should show legislators, regulators, and other stakeholders that we have a long way to go before we can say with confidence that people and products transported by American rail systems are as safe as they can be. I look forward to hearing the witnesses’ testimonies, and using my chairmanship to move America toward 21st century rail infrastructure.”
Additional details about the hearing can be found here.