Former President Donald Trump made a campaign stop here Wednesday, using the aftermath of a train derailment and toxic chemical spill to take shots at President Joe Biden’s handling of the crisis.

Trump points fingers at the Biden administration in East Palestine visit

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Trump Rolls Back Train-Braking Rule Meant to Keep Oil Tankers from Exploding Near Communities

Electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes still use air pressure, but each car has an individual braking control which receives an electronic signal simultaneously, reducing the danger of derailment when cars slam into the preceding ones before braking themselves.

Related:

USDOT repeals ECP brake rule

DOT’s ECP mandate was part of its May 2015 rulemaking on DOT-117 tank cars. Trains meeting the definition of a “HHFUT” (high-hazard flammable unit train), defined as “a single train with 70 or more tank cars loaded with Class 3 flammable liquids,” with at least one tank car with Packing Group I materials, must be operated with an ECP braking system by Jan. 1, 2021, or reduce maximum speed to 30 mph. All other HHFUTs must have ECP braking systems installed after 2023. The DOT claimed ECP braking was more effective in emergency situations.

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Comments Railway Age contributor and railroad economist Jim Blaze: “Regardless of what the rail freight folks do, better braking will show up on trucks. And if the rail economics changed one or two assumptions, the break-even numbers would have turned out better. Sadly, just one future incident in a very highly populated area would make this decision look very bad. But someone likely calculated such odds as very remote. Now they can keep their fingers crossed and hope the actuary assumptions were not wrong. It’s a betting game, one that doesn’t view a high-growth business outlook. So, they play conservative. Lacking evidence that counters the possible risk, the regulators backed down. They too, like railroaders, don’t see a growth business case need. In the end, it signals an outlook for the industry—strategically, a ‘milking’ strategy. It is legal to think that way. But then, don’t confuse it with story lines about growth.”