Leaders discuss railroad safety in Lowcountry after national disaster

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Local lawmakers hosted a railroad transportation safety meeting Monday in North Charleston to bring community and transportation leaders together to discuss safety after the recent train accidents around the country.

The Charleston County area has many railroads that run through, and following the railroad disaster in Ohio, State Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston County, wants to make sure our community never has to experience a disaster like it.

Leaders from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, CSX Transportation, Palmetto Railways, and community leaders came to North Charleston City Hall to educate each other about railway operations and how to prevent serious rail incidents in the Lowcountry.

Gilliard says the meeting was about being proactive, and it was overall very positive.

The meeting comes after Rep. John King, D-York County, introduced a bill last month in the House that would require railroad corporations to start networking with local, state, and federal governments about operations, safety and training.

Gilliard says the railroad leaders made a commitment to come before both caucuses in Columbia and do a presentation that pertains to safety of rail shipments.

“I think people need to understand in many of these counties here in the state of South Carolina, especially here in Charleston County and in my district, we have a lot of rail shipment and these cars are carrying combustibles, flammables, toxic materials, and we don’t want anything bad to happen,” Gilliard said.

Monday’s meeting was the first of multiple meetings, according to Gilliard.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.