[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 145 (Friday, October 24, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H9542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                INTRODUCTION OF RAIL SAFETY LEGISLATION

  (Mr. WISE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, quite rightly, today the subject has been 
Amtrak, but we need to be talking in this Congress about rail safety.
  Yesterday, two Norfolk Southern trains collided head on in southern 
West Virginia. Again today a CSX train hit a tractor trailer at a grade 
crossing. Great tragedy was avoided because the tractor trailer had 
just unloaded an explosive mixture.
  Yes, it is true that the Federal railroad agency is working with CSX, 
is working with Union Pacific, in a concerted effort to improve safety 
practices, but these are reactions. We need to be proactive.
  So, Mr. Speaker, we need to have a coordinated approach, the kind of 
coordinated approach that is in the rail safety legislation that I have 
introduced and we are seeking to get a hearing on and to get debated on 
this floor; rail safety legislation that requires positive train 
separation devices, requires fatigue management plans, requires greater 
oversight of safety.
  And, yes, Mr. Speaker, on Monday we will be unveiling Operation 
Respond, which is a partial answer to some of the problems we have seen 
and which for the first time in our State will have emergency 
responders able to find out immediately upon arriving on the scene what 
hazardous materials are involved.

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