DOT Issues New Rule Requiring Two-Person Crew for Trains – Erie News Now [Video]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said some trains are operated with just one crew member on board. Some of those trains can be as long as three miles long. But after several train derailments, including the Norfolk Southern East Palestine, Ohio derailment last February, the Department of Transportation is making a big rule change, aiming to improve rail safety. 

“Last year I visited East Palestine in Ohio to meet with community members and to see that sight of the Norfolk Southern derailment first hand,” recalled Sec. Buttigieg.  

The Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine caused chaos in local communities in Pennsylvania and Ohio for weeks. It prompted evacuations, caused concerns about the health and safety of community members, the environment and first responders following that crash. In an effort to improve rail safety, the DOT announced rule changes on train crew sizes. They are now requiring at …