Representative Chestek urges tighter rail-safety rules, including wayside detectors and train-length limits

Representative Michael Chestek pressed the Joint Transportation committee to consider a broad rail-safety bill aimed at reducing derailment risk in Wyoming. Chestek said the measure would address train length, mandate wayside detectors that relay alerts to locomotive cabs, and require more frequent and visual track inspections.

"This is a public safety issue," Chestek told the committee, citing the East Palestine derailment as an example of how hot bearings and failed wayside detection can lead to catastrophic incidents. He said current federal waivers and gaps in federal regulation leave room for state action, particularly on train-length limits.

Committee members raised federal preemption concerns and asked whether state rules would conflict with Federal Railroad Administration standards. Chestek said some areas—such as train length—remain "wide-open" and that state law can be more protective where local conditions warrant.

Taylor Rosetti, deputy director of the Wyoming Department of Transportation, told the committee WYDOT does not currently have the in-house rail expertise needed to administer or enforce a new rail-safety regime and would need staffing and resources if the legislature directs a new program: "We don't currently have this expertise in-house, so we would have to go out and find that," Rosetti said.

The committee did not take action but agreed the topic merits study; Chestek said his draft includes an appropriation to staff WYDOT for enforcement. No public testimony was offered on the topic at this hearing.

Next steps: committee members flagged the proposal for further study during the interim, with the possibility of inviting the report's drafters or technical experts to brief the committee on technical feasibility and federal interplay.