CHARLESTON, W.Va — A bill allowing West Virginia’s Public Service Commission to investigate and fine railroads for safety and operational violations will advance to the full Senate after being advanced by the Senate’s judiciary committee.
WCHS-TV reports a CSX Transportation representative testified earlier this month that the railroad believes federal law would prevent HB3059 from taking effect, but the chairwoman of the Public Service Commission, Charlotte Lane, said the agency is “fully prepared to defend it in court,” estimating that would cost about $300,000.
The bill, which previously passed the legislature’s House of Delegates by an 89-3 vote, includes provisions making it illegal to block a grade crossing for more than 10 minutes, and another requiring a train to “immediately clear the crossing” upon notification by an emergency services provider [see “West Virginia legislature advances bill …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 27, 2023]. It includes penalties of $100 to $1,000 for each violation.
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