TRANSPORT: N.D. oil train explosion revives safety debate
EnergyWire 2014-01-06
Summary:
Last Monday, a BNSF Railway train hauling grain near Casselton, N.D., slipped off the rails and blocked a neighboring track. A short time later, a crude oil train going the opposite way struck the derailed cars, with explosive results. Several oil tank cars burst into flames, causing no injuries but spurring many nearby residents to evacuate until New Year's Eve as a precaution. The disaster marked the third high-profile oil train explosion in the past six months and has reignited a debate over the relative safety of rail and pipeline transport.