Trump urges Congress to include railway safety law in transportation bill

US President Donald Trump urged Congress on Tuesday to include railway safety legislation in a broader transportation bill, reviving criticism of former President Joe Biden over his administration’s response to a 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

“I have long said that the horrific tragedy that beset East Palestine in 2023, along with Sleepy Joe Biden’s utterly incompetent response, must NEVER happen again,” he said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Trump called on Republicans to support adding the Railway Safety Act to the surface transportation reauthorization bill when it comes before the Transportation Committee this week.

“We must not delay any further on this very important matter!” he added.

The train derailment in East Palestine on Feb. 3, 2023 involved a Norfolk Southern Railway freight train carrying hazardous materials, forcing evacuations and raising concerns about toxic chemical exposure.

Trump also repeated claims that the Biden administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initially declined to provide federal assistance after the disaster until he announced plans to visit the community.

Biden visited East Palestine in February 2024, a year after the derailment, describing it as “100% preventable” and blaming Norfolk Southern for what he called “an act of greed.”