Since the disastrous train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the eyes of the country have been set on railways. But there have been more rail accidents in the time since then, only adding to questions about safety.

The derailment in Ohio shined a light on what safety measures are in place, or not, in upstate New York cities like Syracuse, according to U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, who spoke in Syracuse on Monday.

Schumer launched a new two-track plan to boost safety and transparency on New York's railways. It includes a call for major railroad companies, such as CSX and Norfolk Southern, to outline how they plan to operate safety throughout upstate communities.

“The horrifying train derailment in Ohio has people in Syracuse and across upstate rightfully concerned about the safety of trains carrying hazardous materials that regularly run through Syracuse’s downtown and nearby communities,” Schumer said. “The tracks behind me run right through numerous residential areas of the city, as well as Syracuse's busy Armory Square, a bustling downtown hub full of local businesses and restaurants, and a hazardous chemical spill could be disastrous.”

Schumer's plan includes a move to support the new bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2023 to create new rail safety protocols for trains carrying hazardous materials in places like Syracuse and across America.

The Railway Safety Act of 2023 includes provisions requiring emergency response plans and ordering rail carriers to provide information in advance to each state’s emergency response officials about what is being transported.

It also requires inspection measures to reduce the risk of wheel bearing failures, calls for at least two-person crews to work on every train, increases the maximum fine the U.S. Department of Transportation can issue for safety violations and establishes a million dollar annual fee on railroads to pay for training local emergency responders.

Schumer said the recent train derailments are “warning signals” that change is needed.

“They're shots across the bow," Schumer said. "They say act because God forbid, the next one may be far more hazardous than the ones that have occurred so far.”

The senator said he sent a letter to major railroad companies, “demanding answers” on what they’re doing to prevent accidents like what happened in Ohio. Schumer said there needs to be more transparency from railroads.

“Syracuse residents deserve to have the peace of mind that their first responders and emergency personnel know if hazardous materials are passing through their homes, parks, schools, places of business," he said.

Schumer’s letter to major rail carriers has a list of questions about their protocols and prevention strategies. He asked companies to respond in 30 days.

CSX sent Spectrum News 1 a comment that said their first priority is safety. The rail company said it works with state and local emergency management groups to make sure they are prepared for what is transported through individual communities every day should the worst case scenario happen.

About a decade ago, there was a single rail car that jumped the tracks in Elmira.

Schumer said changes came about in the time after that, but he said the previous administration repealed some of those regulations.

Local leaders said change is needed at the federal level.

After the East Palestine derailment, state Senator Rachel May said she wanted to add requirements for railways, but May said, “I kept getting an answer: ‘No, no, no. This is interstate commerce. It's a federal issue. We can do nothing at the state level.’ So I couldn't be more grateful to our U.S. senator and majority leader for leaping into action about this issue.”

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon also hopes federal involvement will lead to safer protocols.

“Even though railroads are highly unregulated, essentially monopolies, there still needs to be dialogue and accountability with local communities, because really these are partnerships," McMahon said.

“I applaud Majority Leader Schumer for leading the charge for rail safety improvements and pushing for more information sharing by the railroads,” said Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh. “Knowing how close these trains travel to neighborhoods, business districts and critical infrastructure, he recognizes local governments should not be forced to just wait for an accident. Now is the time to take steps that make the system safer and ensure the Syracuse Fire Department and other first responders have all the information they need to be fully prepared for any occurrence.”