Rep. Dan Lipinski | The Office of Rep. Dan Lipinski
Rep. Dan Lipinski | The Office of Rep. Dan Lipinski
U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) joined area first responders and rail industry leaders at a BNSF Railway facility in Chicago on Monday to demonstrate new electronic, smart-app safety technology called AskRail.
The technology will allow first responders who show up at the scene of a train accident to quickly find out what type of hazardous materials are being carried on each rail car.
“Northeastern Illinois is at the center of the nation’s freight transportation system and is the nation’s rail hub, so I am committed to making sure that America’s rails are as safe as possible,” Lipinski said. "But in the event of an accident, I want to make sure our first responders have the best possible capabilities to protect our communities."
Paper manifests currently are the only form of documentation that must be carried by trains carrying hazardous material.
"I have been pushing the federal government and the railroads to develop an electronic system so that no first responder ever again has to board a locomotive to find out what types of hazardous materials are being carried on a train that has been in an accident," Lipinski said. "I am happy the railroads have responded with the AskRail technology. This will greatly help our first responders and make our communities safer.”
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