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Maryland Railway Safety Act would limit train block crossings, cap train length and tighten detector, hazardous‑materials reporting
Summary
Delegate Stein’s HB 958 would (1) bar trains from blocking at‑grade crossings for more than five minutes, (2) cap train length at 8,500 feet, (3) require wayside detector systems to meet FRA guidelines and (4) establish hazardous‑materials reporting and other safety measures; supporters pointed to East Palestine derailment as rationale, while CSX,
House Bill 958, introduced Feb. 20, would impose multiple new state‑level railroad safety requirements, including a prohibition on blocking public grade crossings for more than five minutes, a maximum freight‑train length of 8,500 feet, adoption and maintenance of wayside detector systems consistent with Federal Railroad Administration guidelines, and enhanced hazardous‑materials reporting and first‑responder access to information.
Sponsor testimony cited national grade‑crossing and blocking statistics and the East Palestine, Ohio, 2023 derailment as a rationale for wayside detection, more robust…
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