The Railway Safety Act of 2025 aims to significantly enhance safety requirements for trains transporting hazardous materials. It directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue new regulations for these trains, covering aspects like advance notification to emergency responders, gas discharge plans, and measures to reduce blocked crossings. These regulations will also address critical operational factors such as train length, weight, consist, route analysis, speed restrictions, and maintenance standards for tracks, bridges, and rail cars. The bill mandates a comprehensive overhaul of rail car inspection protocols, requiring minimum inspection times by qualified personnel for all hazardous materials cars and locomotives. It also tightens pre-departure inspection rules for these trains and initiates regular audits of federal rail car inspection programs to ensure compliance and effectiveness. Furthermore, the legislation requires new regulations for wayside defect detectors, including mandating hotbox detectors every 10 miles on Class I railroad tracks used by hazardous materials trains, and setting clear performance and maintenance standards. A key provision, the Safe Freight Act of 2025, establishes a minimum two-person crew for most freight train operations, consisting of a qualified conductor and locomotive engineer. While certain exceptions exist, these generally do not apply to trains carrying toxic inhalation materials, large quantities of flammable liquids, or trains exceeding 7,500 feet in length. To deter non-compliance, the bill substantially increases maximum civil penalties for violations of hazardous materials transportation and general rail safety regulations, linking them to a percentage of annual income or operating income. Additionally, the Act accelerates the phase-out of older DOT-111 tank cars for Class 3 flammable liquids by May 1, 2027, requiring their replacement with safer DOT-117 specifications. It imposes an additional annual fee of $1,000,000 on Class I rail carriers to fund grants for local first responder hazardous materials training. The legislation also authorizes funding for expanding wayside defect detectors, mandates a study on advanced tank car safety technologies, and requires biennial reports on implementing NTSB recommendations from the 2024 Norfolk Southern derailment report.