More than three years after a disastrous derailment in East Palestine, Congress has continued to sit on its hands rather than upset its friends in the railroad industry by implementing desperately needed rail safety reform.

Well, most of Congress, anyway. A few have repeatedly tried to push change.

Most recently, a bipartisan group that includes U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, has introduced the Railway Safety Act of 2026.

“Three years ago, many Ohioans understandably lost faith in the safety and reliability of our nation’s railways after the accident in East Palestine. Since then, we have learned valuable lessons about the necessity of extensive consultation with the rail industry, emergency responders and local communities. By using a balanced, data-driven approach to advancing rail safety, my bill would protect Ohio’s communities while supporting the freight rail industry across the country,” said Husted.

Well, his bill, in addition to Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., but you can’t blame a politician for trying.

Buckeye State residents are more concerned about whether he and Moreno can help this bill finally gain the momentum the effort should have seen three years ago.

“The reintroduction of the Railway Safety Act is a critical and welcome step forward,” said East Palestine resident and rail safety advocate Misti Allison. “Communities like mine know firsthand that rail safety is not a political issue. It is a public safety, environmental and public health issue. When a train derails, it’s not just tracks and cargo that are affected, but our air, water, soil and the long-term health of families. We owe it to communities like East Palestine and to towns across this country to strengthen oversight, increase accountability and ensure disasters like this never happen again.”

It would seem as though that would be a simple matter of common sense and decency. But with that being the case, the majority of those in Washington, D.C., haven’t displayed much of either.

Perhaps this bunch, introducing the Railway Safety Act of 2026, will finally see their efforts pick up steam.