A New Jersey lawmaker says a Tuesday freight train derailment in North Bergen is “a stark reminder that vigilance in rail safety is essential.”
No one was injured when 13 cars of the CSX train derailed around 3:15 p.m. yesterday near Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen, News 12 reported.
“In recent years, there has been growing concern nationwide about the transportation of hazardous materials by rail, particularly through densely populated communities like those in New Jersey,” Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese, D-Bergen/Passaic, said in a release.
This past January, New Jersey lawmakers passed and the governor signed into law A4460, rail safety legislation that, in part, prohibits railroads from operating trains exceeding 8,500 feet in length on any main line or branch line within the state.
“While a trade association representing major freight rail carriers, including CSX, has challenged this law in court, it is designed to establish critical safety requirements for trains carrying hazardous materials, including a minimum two-person crew in most circumstances and a statewide program to oversee the installation, maintenance, and operation of advanced wayside detector systems to identify mechanical defects before they lead to incidents,” Calabrese, chair of the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee, said.
“These commonsense measures are intended to reduce the likelihood of derailments and improve our ability to detect and prevent dangerous conditions before they escalate,” Calabrese added. “As Chairman of the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee, I will continue working to advance transportation policies that protect our communities and strengthen public safety.”
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