With Congress on its August break, there are a number of important things not getting done. A couple of recent incidents in West Virginia remind us rail safety reform continues to be one of them.

Last month, a minor train derailment in downtown Parkersburg closed a street, and had residents asking questions about the contents of the tanks that were leaning. Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad officials responded quickly with information (the tanks were safely sealed and empty), and a crew to get the train back on track. There were no injuries.

On Aug. 3, the St. Albans Fire Department responded to the derailment of a CSX coal train. Photos from the scene show several coal cars on their sides with coal spilling out alongside the track. TrainsPRO, a rail industry news site, reported traffic was affected for “a large area in the eastern portion of St. Albans.” And, Amtrak Cardinal service passengers had to take buses to drop off points between Huntington and Washington, D.C., with other trains providing service to New York. There were no injuries reported in this accident, either.

In these cases, then, there were no injuries or disastrous leaks; and companies have responded with solutions.

But what if?

The two incidents remind us how present the possibility of a more serious incident is because we rely so heavily on trains. Federal Railroad Administration data shows there were 793 Class I railroad train derailments in the U.S. in 2024. Approximately 74% of those happen in low-speed rail yards. Of those that did not, five resulted in non-fatal injuries and six resulted in a release of hazardous materials.

Yet action on multiple bipartisan rail safety reform efforts inspired by the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment in 2023 has gone nowhere. Organizations such as the National League of Cities, and public officials ranging all the way up to Vice President JD Vance, have begged for improved rail safety legislation.

The Reducing Accidents in Locomotives Act, introduced Feb. 4, addressing “safety requirement for rail carriers and trains transporting hazardous materials,” still carries only the “Introduced” label on Congress’s bill tracking site, six months later. The same is true for the Railway Safety Act of 2025, also introduced Feb. 4.

What could possibly be influencing our elected representatives to sit on their hands in this matter?

Again, the derailments in West Virginia did not result in much real harm. But the same might not be true of the next one. And should another disaster occur, members of Congress who have chosen not to act will find themselves having to answer not “what if?” but “why?”