EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — After a freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed a year ago in East Palestine, Ohio, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents and upending life in the town for months, the rail industry pledged to work to become safer, and members of Congress vowed to pass legislation to prevent similar disasters. No bill was passed. And accidents went up. Derailments rose at the top five freight railroads in 2023, according to regulatory reports for the first 10 months o