[etempleton]

The US has expansive freight rail networks, but they are in poor repair as the operators, such as Norfolk Southern and CSX, cut costs even if it impacts safety. This has been a major complaint of rail works for decades, but little has been done.

There was a bill to help prevent just the type of accident that happened in Ohio by requiring electronically controlled brakes on cars carrying toxic / volatile chemicals, but it was repealed by the Trump administration.

[Grimburger]

This was bearing failure, it had nothing to do with the brakes and Trump hasn't been in office for over 2 years.

[etempleton]

In the event of a derailment, electronic brakes can prevent car pile ups like this one by automatically stopping the individual cars behind the car that derails. Brakes are not the root cause of this derailment, but they could have prevented it from becoming a catastrophe. Would it have changed the outcome here? I don't know, but most major train derailments are preventable with better maintenance / more modern safety features.