U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper will visit the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo on Thursday, April 4, to meet with officials from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA), as well as local Pueblo leaders. The purpose of the visit is to discuss improvements to railway safety following a deadly derailment along I-25 in October. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) initially reported that a broken rail caused the derailment, resulting in a bridge collapse onto the northbound lanes of the interstate. The incident led to the closure of I-25 for multiple days and sadly resulted in the death of Lafollette Henderson, a truck driver from Compton, California.
During his tour, Senator Hickenlooper plans to voice his support for the bipartisan Railway Safety Act, of which he is a supporter. As a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, Hickenlooper has been advocating for the passage of this act, which aims to establish new railway safety requirements and emergency response procedures. The bill also includes an amendment proposed by Hickenlooper to increase emergency response capacity in rural communities. He is committed to continuing his efforts to advance the Railway Safety Act through the full Senate in order to improve railway safety across the country.
Senator Hickenlooper’s visit comes as lawmakers continue their investigation into the cause of the derailment and what could have been done differently to prevent it from happening. The incident has raised concerns about railway safety and prompted calls for increased regulations and oversight by government agencies like FRA and TSA. It remains unclear when or if I-25 will fully reopen after
