The office of U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in a release Wednesday that expanding the use of innovative technologies is critical to improving rail safety.
During a Commerce Subcommittee hearing on transportation technologies, Klobuchar highlighted how emerging technologies, like rail defect detection systems, allow railroads to boost the frequency and breadth of inspections of signals, tracks,and mechanical operations to help prevent derailments.
"Emerging technologies can serve a critical role in improving the safety of our country's rail system," Klobuchar said. "Right now, Federal Railroad Administration inspectors only have the capacity to inspect less than one percent of all railroad activities. That isn't good enough. We need to foster an environment that encourages the development of new and innovative technologies that can help improve the safety and efficiency of our railroads."
Klobuchar recently passed a provision through the Commerce Committee that will help states address public safety issues posed by blocked rail crossings. Klobuchar also recently convened a meeting with local officials in Ranier, home to the busiest rail port in North America, to discuss the importance of improving rail safety.
Klobuchar's Railroad Reform, Enhancement, and Efficiency Act, which recently passed the Senate Commerce Committee, directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop highway-rail crossing action plans that include accident data for every state. Klobuchar's amendment aims to ensure the safety plans also include tools and best practices to help states address the safety risks posed by blocked crossings.
Klobuchar sent a letter earlier this month urging the Department of Transportation to work collaboratively with rail carriers and first responders to establish an information-sharing system that will help communities plan for and respond to rail incidents. As a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees federal rail issues, she successfully pushed for a hearing last year where she pressed federal rail officials on the need to move forward on critical safety measures to strengthen rail infrastructure and protect communities along rail routes. She also sent letters to the Senate Appropriations Committee calling for increased funding for additional rail inspectors and for a stronger inspection process.
At a Senate Commerce Committee meeting in March, Klobuchar helped pass legislation to improve the efficiency of the Surface Transportation Board and help improve rail service. After a major push from her and Senator John Thune R-S.D., the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report in March examining the rail service challenges in the Upper Midwest in 2013 and 2014 and the implications these issues had on the region's agricultural sectors.