ICYMI: Federal railroad authorities and Union Pacific reach agreement on inspection and maintenance improvements

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Gov. Jay Inslee issued the following statement regarding the agreement between the Federal Railroad Administration and Union Pacific following the Mosier oil trail derailment:

“I’m encouraged by the Federal Railroad Administration’s announcement that it will require Union Pacific to increase its track maintenance, inspections and training following its investigation into the Mosier, Ore. derailment. The incident could have been much worse, and demanded an increase in safety measures by Union Pacific.

“This agreement acts on the specific concerns I raised with Administrator Sarah Feinberg in June, including the need for walking track inspections necessary to find the type of defects that caused the Mosier derailment.

“Administrator Feinberg deserves credit for taking these steps to keep communities safe in Washington, Oregon and across the country as volatile crude oil is hauled across our rail lines. The compliance agreement announced today should be viewed as a minimum effort for any railroads that move crude oil.”

Media Contacts

Tara Lee
Governor Inslee’s Communications Office
360.902.4136