Local political leaders are taking a harder look at railroad infrastructure and operations around their communities following the toxic train derailment that took place in East Palestine, Ohio earlier in 2023. According to The Wall Street Journal, the more than 70,000 railroad bridges across the U.S. are beginning to show their age.

Some politicians are urging companies to speed up their rail infrastructure improvements to avoid any future accidents. Officials said they usually have to wait for rail bridge owners to make fixes if safety concerns come outside of a recent inspection.

Norfolk Southern, the company that owned and operated the track where the Ohio derailment occurred, said it is currently performing repair work on two bridges in New York and that it will pay to fix other bridges in 2023.

“I’m very confident in the structural integrity of our bridges,” said Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw in an interview.

Earlier in October, a 65-year-old rail bridge collapsed in Pueblo, Colorado, killing truck driver Lafollette Henderson. The collapse took place after a coal train operated by BNSF Railway derailed on the same track. Investigations into the collapse remain ongoing.

A BNSF spokesperson said the railroad is responsible for inspecting the tracks and that it will replace the bridge. The spokesperson added that the bridge’s maintenance was up to date.

In June, several railcars derailed, spilling hot asphalt and sulfur into the Yellowstone River in Montana following a bridge collapse. Montana Rail Link, the company responsible for the bridge’s maintenance, said an inspection was done a month earlier and the structure was deemed safe. A newly constructed bridge was reopened in July.