“You’ll have a top researcher with you as long as you need,” Biden said.

Many in the area worry that Norfolk Southern’s assistance programs will soon halt, and they have called on the federal government to pick up any slack. Residents have also chafed at how long it took Biden to visit the area, especially considering how quickly other politicians — including Donald Trump — responded to the area.

Biden also reiterated his support for a rail safety bill, introduced by Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown and Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, that is languishing in the Senate.

This legislation
would raise the cap on penalties for railroad accidents, improve equipment that detects problems with trains, strengthen inspections and implement a minimum crew size, among a host of other provisions.

“We have obligations to one another, and there’s nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together,” he said.