House panel approves $580 billion transportation bill with rail safety provisions

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a five-year, $580 billion surface transportation bill Thursday. The vote followed a 12-hour markup that included rail safety measures advocates have pushed since the 2023 East Palestine derailment.

The BUILD America 250 Act passed 61–2. The committee adopted an amendment incorporating the Railway Safety Act. The rail safety amendment initially failed on a voice vote but passed 54–11 on a recorded vote.

The rail safety provisions require two-person crews on freight trains. They mandate wayside defect detectors. They strengthen penalties on railroads for safety violations. They accelerate the phase-out of DOT-111 tank cars involved in hazardous material incidents.

Chairman Sam Graves, a Missouri Republican, said 969 rail fatalities and 6,291 injuries occurred in 2025 alone across 9,836 rail accidents and incidents. "Our committee has an opportunity today to deliver on President Trump's call for stronger rail safety protections and to ensure that the tragedy we witnessed in East Palestine, Ohio, never happens again," Graves said.

The bill authorizes more than $50 billion for bridges over five years. It establishes the first new Highway Trust Fund revenue source since 1993 through annual registration fees of $130 for electric vehicles and $35 for plug-in hybrids. The package directs $65 billion to rail programs and $41 billion to discretionary grant programs.

Ranking Member Rick Larsen, a Washington Democrat, said the committee had not considered rail safety legislation in the nearly three and a half years since the East Palestine derailment. "The Railway Safety Act protects rail workers and communities that railroads travel through, requires the placement of wayside defect detectors, strengthens penalties on railroads for safety violations, and removes older, dangerous tank cars from service sooner," Larsen said.

The bill now advances to the House floor.