The Obama rule that Trump nixed refereed to unit trains, mainly in the west, of 100 to 130 cars, hauling a single cargo. It was aimed primarily at oil transport and was prompted by several major derails and fires caused by Bakken oil from North Dakota. Bakken crude is generally more volatile than most other crude and creates much worst fires. The worst disaster was at Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, in 2013 which killed 47 people and wiped out the center of the town.
The Obana rule was aimed at improving braking systems to allow trains to stop more quickly in an emergency. Would this rule have had any effect in the East Palestine disaster? The answer is NO. It didn't involve a unit train or crude oil. It was a chemical fire.
It was a mechanical failure caused by a burned out bearing and braking wasn't involved. There was prior warning, but there was no real system in place to do anything about the warning.
Revoking safety rules, any rules, is a bad idea. Rail safety is nowhere near what it should be. The railroads fight any attempt at regulations of any sort. Hiring lobbyists is cheaper than upgrading equipment. Money wins and disasters happen.
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