Preventing Another East Palestine: Will U.S. Railroads Implement Needed Communications Upgrades?

Original article here

Will Congress hold the railroads accountable for making the necessary upgrades to prevent another East Palestine-like rail disaster?

This process can begin this Tuesday, as the U.S. House Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials holds a hearing titled, “Examining the State of Rail Safety in the Aftermath of the Derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.”

The hearing comes a few weeks after the National Transportation Safety Board issued a report explaining that mechanical failures and communications technology issues both caused and exacerbated the severity of the February 3, 2023 derailment of a Northfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials in the town of East Palestine.

It also will occur as a 2025 deadline approaches for U.S. railroads to comply with a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandate for the railroads to transition to new communications technology, enabling freight trains to finally access modern, high-bandwidth software applications that will improve safety.

Why is this transition important for rail safety?

Federal Newswire reports:

Currently, freight rail operators in North America communicate using low-speed 900 MHz two-way radios, akin to dial-up internet. And their communications don’t conform to common “802.16” wireless broadband standards developed to secure private wireless networks in other industries.

In comments submitted to the FCC on May 2, the AAR wrote that its members planned to “complete the transition…by the Sept 14, 2025 deadline” and that they would invest $110 million in equipment to accommodate the new standards, which it would move the industry off “1980’s technology.”

Given that the rail companies’ 2025 budgets are likely set in Q4 of this year, are the railroads on track to meet that deadline?

Have they begun placing orders for the new wireless networks?

Will the House subcommittee ask these questions — and what will Congress do to ensure the railroads are held accountable to meet this transition deadline?

Federal Newswire reports that its reporters asked Subcommittee Chairman Troy Nehls (R-Texas) and other subcommittee members those very questions, but have yet to hear back.

Meanwhile, American company Ondas Networks has partnered with Siemens Mobility  to develop and sell freight operators new wireless network technology and radios that meet the modern standards.

As the 17-month anniversary of the East Palestine disaster, as well as the 2025 deadline for the needed railway communications upgrades, draws near, now might be an opportune time for Congress to ensure the railroads are prepared and on target to meet their end of the bargain.

The East Palestine derailment caused a significant chemical spill, involving substances such as vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, and isobutylene. Local authorities conducted a controlled burn of the chemicals to prevent a potential explosion, leading to a large plume of smoke. This prompted an evacuation order for residents within a one-mile radius of the site. State and federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), were dispatched to monitor air and water quality in the affected areas.

The derailment raised substantial environmental and public health concerns. Tests conducted by the EPA and other agencies detected elevated levels of contaminants in the air and water near the derailment site. Long-term environmental impacts are being assessed, with particular focus on soil and groundwater contamination. The incident has led to multiple lawsuits from residents and businesses affected by the spill and evacuation.

The situation remains under investigation, with ongoing efforts to monitor and mitigate the environmental and health impacts of the derailment.

Tuesday’s House Subcommittee hearing is one step in preventing a derailment like this from happening again.