LINCOLN, Neb. — Less than two weeks after the Nebraska legislature killed a bill to require two-person train crews, a legislative committee has heard testimony on another rail regulation bill, this one including limits on train length.
The unicameral legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications Committee on Tuesday heard testimony on LB1212, introduced by Sen. Lynne Walz (D-Fremont, Neb.) It which would limit trains carrying hazardous materials to 8,500; require mainline wayside detectors every 20 miles; and require trains to stop and conduct inspections after receiving a defect message from such detectors.
Other provisions require railroads to offer training on dealing with hazardous materials to fire departments along rail lines; set insurance requirements for railroads carrying hazardous materials; and prohibit railroads from blocking grade crossings for more than 10 minutes — although the U.S. Supreme Court recently let stand a lower-court decision striking down such a law in another state [see “U.S. Supreme Court won’t hear Ohio blocked-crossing case,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 11, 2024].
“Rather than waiting on federal legislation … let us as Nebraska take the necessary steps to protect our constitutents and our crew members,” Walz says in a story on the legislature’s news site. She said there have been 42 derailments in Nebraska between January 2022 and November 2023.
Testifying in favor of the legislation were a representative of the Nebraska Public Service Commission and rail union representatives; representatives of Union Pacific and BNSF testified in opposition. The committee took no immediate action.
Earlier this month, the bill requiring two-person crews in the state was killed when the legislature failed to vote to end a filibuster blocking its consideration [see “Filibuster kills Nebraska bill …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 3, 2024].
