Lawmakers push for railroad safety legislation following deadly train derailment in Pueblo

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- As crews work to clean up coal and debris caused by a deadly train derailment Sunday, several Colorado lawmakers are calling for railroad safety legislation, citing the derailment as evidence that legislation is necessary in the state.

Legislators are working on a bill that, if passed, would require certain railroads to have insurance and require railroads to maintain detector systems that automatically check for defects.

The bill was drafted earlier this year in response to the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that created dangerous environmental impacts this spring.

While the bill has not yet gone to committee and the contents could slightly change before then, it puts in place specific safety regulations for railroads.

If the bill became law, the lengths of trains would be capped at 8,500 feet and a process would be created for crew members to report safety violations.

"There are all kinds of really significant implications there," said Democratic Senator Lisa Cutter, a sponsor of the bill. "So, we're going to make sure that they have the training and that they also have proper insurance or backup funding available to help mitigate those disasters or take care of those disasters, which, as we can see are almost just inevitable."

Cutter said the bill's importance is underscored by the Pueblo derailment, which is believed to have been caused by a broken rail.

KRDO reached out to the Governor's office Tuesday to ask how the state is responding and what Governor Polis is doing about the derailment and traffic impacts. The Governor's office told KRDO they were directing all questions to the Colorado Department of Transportation.