New Congress hears members’ concerns and priorities

From safety to the importance of funding and expanding passenger rail, several key issues that are top-of-mind for SMART-TD members were discussed during a recent Congressional hearing.

Held by the U.S. House of Representatives Rail, Pipeline, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, the purpose of the session was to examine the state of the freight and passenger rail networks and consider priorities for the next surface transportation reauthorization package due this Congressional cycle.  

Jared Cassity, SMART-TD’s Deputy National Safety and Legislative Director, spoke during the hearing and highlighted the significance of our members to the railroad industry.

“I have had no greater pleasure in my career than the opportunity to represent the single most significant factor of what sets our railroad industry apart from the rest of the world, and that is the American railroad worker,” Cassity emphasized. “It is because of their efforts and their dedication that the rail industry has been able to achieve so many improvements over the last couple of decades, but there’s still much work that needs to be done.”

New Congress includes familiar faces

Committee member Congressman Troy Nehls (R-TX), who sponsored the bipartisan Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2024, made a point to recognize both Cassity and SMART-TD’s National Safety and Legislative Director Greg Hynes during the hearing. Congressman Nehls has emerged as a dedicated partner in advocating for the safety of railroad workers.

Brother Hynes told SMART News after the hearing that he was encouraged that Congressman Nehls continues to serve on the Rail subcommittee in this new Congress.

Hynes was adamant, saying “Rep. Nehls and the bill he wrote are a key to our members’ day-to-day safety. He is a true believer in our workforce, and we will need him on both the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and the Railroad subcommittee to make sure we finish the job on 2-PC. He’s a big piece of the puzzle for this union to continue 2024’s momentum.”

Safety steals the spotlight

The safety of rail workers will likely be a key part of this subcommittee’s agenda, an idea that Cassity underscored during his remarks.

“Our members’ main priority when they’re at work is to perform the functions of their jobs to the best of their ability, day in and day out,” Cassity noted. “They want to get to where they’re going safely, without incident, and then back home to their families — the same way they went to work.”

Cassity stressed that SMART-TD’s bottom line remains focused on safety.

“Our mission is simple, and it does not waver—safety will always lead the way. We stand ready to work with you and your offices to get us there.”

Awareness of train length challenges

Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-Nevada), Ranking Minority Leader of the Subcommittee and a longtime labor advocate, described the importance of both passenger and freight rail in her district, but also expressed several concerns.

“Las Vegas is my district, and it was founded as a rail stop,” said Congresswoman Titus. “Right now, through my district, we have a number of trains every day carrying all kinds of things. Now, also, we’re at the forefront of high-speed passenger rail.”

With so much rail traffic in her district alone, Congresswoman Titus said that safety is critical, especially when it comes to train length.

“I continue to have concerns as trains get longer and longer,” Congresswoman Titus admitted. “Not only do we need to be mindful of train length, but I want to be sure that our workers and first responders know exactly what’s moving on those trains.”

Cassity promotes rail safety through better training

Staying focused on safety, Congresswoman Titus pointed out that conductors are still getting hurt on the job and asked Cassity why that is.

He says that the answer is simple: thorough training makes a big difference.

When he hired on with the railroad 20 years ago, things were very different.

“The emphasis was on training,” Cassity said. “We had to go through a regimented process, and we had roughly six months of training.”

In this instance, repeating history would likely be beneficial.  

“We have got to get back to taking on training—not focusing on regulatory minimums and only doing what’s required by the regulation, but actually owning safety and making sure that our folks are comfortable in their own skin when they’re at work and aware of what’s going on, what changes have been made, and how to do the job effectively and efficiently,” Cassity recommended.

Labor should drive responsible use of new technologies

As the conversation veered into the impact that new technologies and innovations have on the rail industry, Cassity encouraged lawmakers to set boundaries on its implementation so that safety isn’t compromised.

“Labor supports new technology and innovation to help us work safer,” Cassity noted. “But we need to make sure that the umbrella is not too big, so that when the new technologies are being developed that there’s not too much freedom because the impact could be great on the American public.”

To ensure that doesn’t happen, SMART-TD needs a seat at the table.

“It’s vitally important that we play a role in these technologies and innovations because we are the ones that are most impacted by it, and we’re also the ones best suited to protect the public and how it can impact them,” Cassity said.

High-speed passenger rail would solve many problems

Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) asked Cassity why the United States hasn’t invested in high-speed rail as heavily as other countries. 

“People hear ‘railroads’ and they think about ancient technology or ancient methods of transportation, and we’ve got to get outside of that box and make sure that we’re talking to folks and letting them know what rail can do for them and how we can make their lives better.”

Part of that involves amplifying the many benefits of railroads compared with other means of transportation.

“One single train can take 150 to 300 trucks off the highway. That’s good for everybody who uses our highways,” Cassity explained. “We know that tens of thousands of Americans die on our highways every year. Railroads are far safer.”

To ensure that rail ridership increases, dedicated funding and investment are key.

“We’re enjoying some of the most robust funding in Amtrak’s history, so it should be no surprise that 2024 was a record year for ridership. Not only were more people able to enjoy the benefits of rail travel, but rural communities were better equipped to directly connect their citizens with the rest of the country,” Cassity said. “But like every other passenger rail service on the planet, Amtrak cannot survive on fare box revenue alone, which is why adequate funding is so important.”

Cassity made it clear: investing in high-speed rail is crucial to the future of transportation in the United Sates.

“High speed rail, in my opinion, is the greatest opportunity for funding to do something meaningful for the people of America…to make an impact on the economy and the infrastructure as a whole.”