Rail Safety Starts at Home: Lessons from Our Conversation with Rail Watch’s Jess Conard

by

Last evening, we had the opportunity to host Jess Conard of Rail Watch for an engaging and timely conversation about rail safety, emergency preparedness, and the role communities can play in protecting themselves from potential rail-related incidents.

A key takeaway from the discussion was the importance of prioritizing rail safety in local emergency planning. Conard emphasized that rail safety is a community issue and local emergency plans should account for the realities of freight rail traffic moving through our communities, including the possibility of derailments and hazardous material releases. “Communities are entitled to those plans, and they should be updated every 10 years. That’s required by law.” she said. 

A Local Gap in Kingston’s Emergency Preparedness

As part of our discussion, participants reviewed the City of Kingston’s disaster preparedness webpage. While the site contains a large collection of emergency preparedness resources, it can be difficult to navigate, presenting community members with a lengthy list of links and materials that offer little organization or guidance.  Of note, we could not identify any publicly available information outlining what community members should do in the event of a train derailment. With publicly available data indicating that between 20 and 30 trains pass through Kingston each day, the lack of derailment-specific guidance is a significant gap in the city’s public emergency preparedness resources that needs attention.

While railroads are regulated primarily at the federal level, there is still significant work that can be done locally, and those local efforts can have a ripple effect upward. Most impactful outcomes often starts at the community level.

Based on discussions last evening with participating city staff and community members, there does not appear to be a dedicated public forum or advisory structure focused on rail traffic and rail safety issues in the City of Kingston at this time. Establishing a mechanism for ongoing discussion would be a meaningful opportunity and a strong initiative. It could begin with a small group of Kingston community members coming together to develop a strategy to bring to the Common Council, the executive branch, and other key stewards to initiate next steps.

Rail Safety Legislation Moving in Albany

The conversation highlighted two important rail safety bills currently advancing in New York State.

Senator Michelle Hinchey’s bill, S5748, would prohibit freight trains operating in New York from exceeding 8,500 feet in length, while allowing limited waivers through the Department of Transportation. Supporters argue that excessively long trains create operational and safety concerns and can increase risks associated with derailments.

Senator James Skoufis’s bill, S5713, would require railroad corporations transporting hazardous materials to notify the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Department of Transportation before traveling through the state. The legislation is intended to improve emergency preparedness and ensure that responders have access to critical information about hazardous cargo moving through New York communities. The bill passed the State Senate in June 2025 and remains active in the legislative process.

Community members in their districts are encouraged to reach out to learn more about these efforts, what support is needed to help advance this legislation, and what additional actions can be taken to move it across the finish line.


Next steps

Concerned community members can come together to form a group that begins asking important questions. Search for others who are already organizing around these issues in the state, reach out, and collaborate to build shared momentum. 

Good questions to raise include: What plans exist for a train derailment in our community? How would community members be notified in an emergency? What hazardous materials are moving through our area? Where can the public find clear, accessible guidance before an incident occurs? And are local emergency plans being regularly reviewed and updated?

Improving rail safety starts with understanding the specific risks in our community, identifying gaps, and working together to address them. Last night’s discussion was an important step in that process, and we look forward to continuing the conversation with local leaders, emergency managers, and community members across the Hudson Valley.


RESOURCES FROM LAST EVENING’S PRESENTATION

Leave a Comment