Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Matzie applauds Zerfuss, PUC action on rail safety

Matzie applauds Zerfuss, PUC action on rail safety

Rep. Robert F. Matzie    February 23, 2026 | 11:48 AM

AMBRIDGE, Feb. 23 – State Rep. Rob Matzie today praised the Pennsylvania Utility Commission’s decision to review its rail safety regulations, saying the commission will consider some of the same safety measures in Matzie’s own rail safety bill that passed the House.

The PUC’s action on Friday granting a motion for proposed rulemaking, offered by Commissioner Kathryn Zerfuss, mirrors Matzie’s call for stronger state regulation of rail safety, a move he says is needed in the absence of better federal oversight.

“I applaud Commissioner Zerfuss and the PUC for taking the reins on rail safety, and I’m glad the commission plans to focus on some of the same reporting, oversight and equipment issues I call for in my rail safety legislation,” said Matzie, who is chairman of the House Majority Caucus. “With thousands of miles of rail running through our region and federal regulations falling short, time is of the essence. We can’t afford to wait for another East Palestine.”

Matzie said that PUC’s experts will review rail safety regulations with respect to five areas, including the proper functioning of wayside detectors – trackside sensors that warn when train cars are overheating because of problems that can cause derailment.

That equipment is one focus of Matzie’s H.B. 1191, which was adopted by the House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee by a large, bipartisan margin in December 2025 and is awaiting a vote by the full House. Similar legislation sponsored by Matzie passed the House in 2023 but never received a vote in the state Senate.

Matzie said he hopes the PUC’s order – which requires its experts to report back to the full commission within six months – will bring the needed progress.

“This rulemaking is just one step in a longer process, but it’s a good start and one that can put us on track for fewer derailments and better protections for workers, first responders and residents of the many communities our freight rails traverse,” Matzie said.