With all eyes on East Palestine following the recent first anniversary of the derailment and the visit by President Joe Biden on Friday, another important rail safety first step took place on Thursday.

Norfolk Southern, which has long promised to join the Close Call Confidential Reporting System (C3RS), signed the pilot program agreement, allowing rail workers to anonymously report safety concerns without fear of punishment or retribution by railroad managers or the railroads.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) General Chairman Scott Bunten spoke to 21 News about why this pilot program is a good step for improved rail safety for workers and the community.

Atlanta, Elkhart, Indiana and Roanoke, Virginia will be the locations that will participate in the pilot program for the next year. 

Bunten said there are approximately 800 railroad companies in the US, yet only 28 of the rail companies participate in the C3RS program. Norfolk is the first Class I Rail company to sign on.

The new agreement with Norfolk Southern will be tested and adjusted over the next year, Bunten said.

"Hopefully, this will spread like wildfire," Bunten added. 

The C3RS reports will go to NASA, where the information will be processed, and additional information will be gathered if needed. The information will then be stripped of all information and provided to the railroad for it to look into the concern/s.

Bunten said he feels it may help prevent another incident like East Palestine from happening.

The program is expected to begin on March 19.

Also in attendance for the signing was the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division and the Federal Railroad Administration.

Listen to the 21 News podcast with Bunten on the pilot program and what he believes the program's significance is.