![]() ![]() They also establish a maximum speed limit of 50 mph. The 2015 rules require railroads to notify states about how many flammable liquid trains they expect to transport each week and to find the safest route possible for them. Other crude oil crashes, like one that created a massive fireball outside the town of Casselton, N.D., in 2013, alarmed regulators because the number of crude oil shipments had skyrocketed as more oil was being produced in areas without many pipelines, like North Dakota. The unmanned train rolled downhill and derailed, killing 47 people and causing millions of dollars in damage. In 2013, the brakes failed on a parked crude oil train in the hills above the Canadian town of Lac Megantic. Regulators established a set of safety rules for trains hauling large amounts of crude oil, ethanol or other flammable liquids in 2015 after several fiery derailments, including one of the worst disasters in railroad history. Just one derailment involving hazardous chemicals can be disastrous. Most derailments don't cause major problems, but there are still nearly three a day somewhere in the country. Railroads are generally regarded as the safest way to transport hazardous chemicals across land, and statistics show that 99.9% of those shipments arrive safely. The Association of American Railroads trade group has already spoken out against the crew size rule and requiring electronically-controlled brakes. But the industry has a long history of resisting new regulations. The railroads themselves say they will take steps that include installing roughly 1,000 more trackside detectors. Trains now routinely stretch beyond 2 miles. They want standards for the trackside detectors used to help identify equipment problems, more notice to states about hazardous chemicals they are hauling, and at least two people at the helm of freight trains.Ī Senate bill would toughen the penalty for safety violations to up to 1% of a railroad's annual operating income and set standards for the maximum length and weight of freight trains, which have grown significantly in recent years. Americans are renewing their focus on railroad safety after a string of recent derailments, especially two fiery ones involving hazardous chemicals in Ohio and Minnesota that prompted evacuations.įederal regulators and members of Congress are urging railroads to do more to prevent derailments. ![]()
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