Among the immediate calls for action: Freight rail industry should accelerate phase-in of safer tank cars and provide workers paid sick leave, and Congress can raise existing caps on the fines for rail safety regulations / USDOT will advance train crew staffing rule, initiate a focused safety inspection program on routes over which high-hazard flammable trains (HHFTs) travel / Secretary Buttigieg: "We at USDOT are doing everything in our power to improve rail safety, and we insist that the rail industry do the same – while inviting Congress to work with us to raise the bar" / WASHINGTON DC – Today, as local, state, and federal officials continue to investigate the cause of the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and monitor public health conditions, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called for a three-pronged push to hold the freight rail industry accountable and improve safety. That includes laying out immediate steps for Class I railroads to take to improve rail safety in communities across America and to improve working conditions for rail employees. It comes on the heels of Secretary Buttigieg’s letter to Norfolk Southern’s CEO (....)