House subcommittee hearing spotlights rail safety, long-train concerns and need to speed grant funding

Chairman Webster convened the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials to hear testimony on surface transportation reauthorization and rail safety from industry, contractors and labor on Wednesday.

The hearing centered on safety measures for freight and passenger rail, the role of federal grants in keeping short-line networks operable, and regulatory and permitting changes members said are needed to speed projects funded under the bipartisan infrastructure law. "Railroads are a cornerstone of the U.S. economy, operating a network of over 140,000 miles," Ian Jeffries, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, told the panel, adding that freight rail is "exceptionally safe, economically vital, and privately funded."

Why it matters: Congress must reauthorize surface transportation programs this cycle; witnesses and members said the next law should preserve grant programs that fund safety and capacity projects, fix Highway Trust Fund solvency, and remove procedural delays that slow award execution. Members also debated immediate safety steps—defect detectors, crew staffing standards and real-time information for first responders—after rail incidents around the country.

Industry perspective: Jeffries said the freight rail industry has invested heavily in its network since deregulation, estimating private capital investments since 1980 in the hundreds of billions of dollars and noting that freight rail carries a substantial share of long‑haul freight. He urged outcomes‑based regulation to allow adoption of new inspection technologies and faster permitting for projects. "If a policy cannot be said what problem it is solving, then I'd question its validity," Jeffries said.

Short‑line and contractor priorities: Chuck Baker, president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, told the subcommittee that short lines operate roughly 50,000 miles of track and rely on the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grants to replace ties, rehabilitate bridges and keep rural networks open. "It's the only federal program that short lines are directly eligible for and it's been transformational," Baker said, while urging advanced appropriations and faster obligation of awards so projects do not stall.

Contractors represented by Joe D'Aluisio, chairman of the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association, urged robust funding for rail grant programs, more competition in contracting, and steps to shorten federal permitting and review processes. D'Aluisio said contractors supply much of the labor and equipment for track work and that delays inflate costs and slow disaster response.

Labor concerns: Jared Cassidy, deputy national safety and legislative director for SMART‑TD, pressed for stronger on‑the‑ground safety practices, improved training and better use of technologies so that workers—not only remote systems—see and act on safety alerts. Cassidy said training timelines have shortened in some carriers and that defect detectors and other automated alerts sometimes do not reach crews or are turned off, creating a hazardous information gap. "Safety will always lead the way," Cassidy said.

Policy disputes and topics raised by members: Several members urged maintaining or strengthening rail safety mandates. Ranking Member Titus and others highlighted passenger projects such as Brightline West and corridor planning funded by the infrastructure law. Members from agricultural and industrial districts emphasized short lines' role in moving farm products and called for continued CRISI funding. Several members, including Rep. LaMalfa and others, urged permitting reform and NEPA streamlining so awards translate into faster construction and lower inflationary cost growth.

Regulatory flash points: Witnesses and members discussed the withdrawn California Air Resources Board (CARB) waiver the board had sought from EPA on locomotive end‑use standards. Jeffries and Baker said the proposal, if implemented, would have raised costs dramatically—particularly for short lines—and risked putting some operators out of business. Members also discussed the National Academies report on risks posed by long trains and whether Congress should require regulators to make more configuration and public‑data requirements for blocked crossings.

Other issues: Members and witnesses urged stronger prosecution and interagency cooperation to curb cargo theft, improvements to grade crossing safety (including the railroad crossing elimination program), and faster compliance reporting for spectrum use and interoperable safety systems. Several witnesses urged that any change to truck size and weight limits be resisted because heavier trucks would shift freight off rail and increase road maintenance costs.

Next steps and unanswered questions: Members said they will press the subcommittee’s staff and the Department of Transportation on concrete fixes such as pre‑award authority for grantees, faster grant obligation timelines, outcomes‑based regulation pilots for new inspection technologies, and expanded real‑time sharing of hazardous‑materials information with first responders.

The hearing closed with Chairman Webster thanking witnesses and members and adjourning the subcommittee session.