Washington, D.C. — Amid a string of recent train derailments, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is pressing CSX to strengthen rail safety and prevent derailments that threaten public safety. 

Last week, Sen. Ossoff launched an inquiry with the CEO of CSX Transportation, Joseph Hinrichs, pressing for action by the company in the wake of two recent derailments of CSX train cars in Georgia and requesting specific solutions to prevent derailments in the future.

On March 25, 6 CSX train cars derailed in Fayette County. It was later reported that CSX had been warned by law enforcement several hours earlier that they had found broken tracks at the intersection where the derailment later occurred.

On May 9, just 6 weeks later, 17 train cars derailed in a residential area of Smyrnain the middle of the night – just feet from homes.

“I write to express serious concern about two recent derailments of CSX train cars in Georgia, and to request specific solutions from CSX as soon as possible on plans to prevent such derailments in the future,” Sen. Ossoff wrote to Mr. Hinrichs. “More must be done to protect my constituents.”

“These significant operational failures could have seriously injured or killed my constituents, and CSX must do more to prevent a more serious incident from occurring in the future,” Sen. Ossoff continued.

Sen. Ossoff continues working to improve transportation safety to protect Georgia businesses and families.

In January, Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock delivered Federal resources through the Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program, created and funded through the bipartisan infrastructure law, to provide Federal funding for projects to address safety concerns at rail crossings through a competitive U.S. Department of Transportation grant process.

In 2023, Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock delivered Federal resources for Chatham, DeKalb, and Gwinnett Counties through the Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program.

Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock also delivered $12 million in new Federal funding for a project in Jenkins County that will improve mobility by helping eliminate railway-highway crossings through the bipartisan infrastructure law’s Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program.

In 2022, Sen. Ossoff launched an inquiry with the Federal Railroad Administration as part of the Agency’s ongoing investigation into trains causing traffic delays, submitting testimonials from cities, counties, and constituents across the state encountering blocked railroad crossings, harming residents’ abilities to work, school, the grocery store, doctor’s offices, and more.

Click here to read Sen. Ossoff’s letter.

Jon Ossoff is the Senior United States Senator from the State of Georgia. Elected in 2021, he currently serves on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee; Select Committee on Intelligence; and Rules Committee.