On Thursday, April 4, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper will visit the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo to meet with officials from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA), as well as local Pueblo leaders. The purpose of the visit is to discuss improvements to railway safety following a deadly derailment along I-25 in October.
Senator Hickenlooper plans to use the tour to voice his support for the bipartisan Railway Safety Act, of which he is a supporter. As a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, Hickenlooper has been advocating for the passage of this act, which aims to establish new railway safety requirements and emergency response procedures. The bill also includes an amendment proposed by Hickenlooper to increase emergency response capacity in rural communities. He is committed to continuing his efforts to advance the Railway Safety Act through the full Senate in order to improve railway safety across the country.
The incident led to the closure of I-25 for multiple days and sadly resulted in the death of Lafollette Henderson, a truck driver from Compton, California. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) initially reported that a broken rail caused the derailment, resulting in a bridge collapse onto the northbound lanes of the interstate. This was just one of several incidents that occurred along I-25 that year and highlighted concerns about railway safety in Colorado and across the country.
The visit by Senator Hickenlooper will provide an opportunity for him to see firsthand how efforts are being made at the Transportation Technology Center to improve railway safety and emergency response procedures. He will also have an opportunity to speak with local Pueblo leaders about their concerns about railway safety and what can be done at both federal and local levels to address these concerns.
