Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer visited Elmira on Tuesday to demand new safety protocols for rail safety, over 10 years after Norfolk Southern had a derailment in the city. His visit comes after two Norfolk Southern train derailments in Ohio that occurred within 29 days of each other, which have raised safety concerns across the country.
“We can’t let safety for Upstate New York go off the rails. It is time to fast track commonsense rail-safety reform,” said Schumer.
Norfolk Southern’s 2011 derailment of a rail car off an elevated track into a parking lot in Elmira was not reported at the time. Schumer was joined by local fire and emergency officials to emphasize the importance of rail safety, highlighting the readiness of the area to handle small emergencies but acknowledging gaps in their preparedness for larger incidents.
Schumer is calling for Norfolk Southern and other rail companies to take action to prevent future incidents and hold them accountable for any wrongdoing. The ultimate goal is to ensure the safety of residents and prevent any adverse impacts on air, soil, and water quality.
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