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 tra

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