Oil Train Safety Megathread. Updated July 30, 2023

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49. Oil-by-rail safety concerns likely to reignite after Oregon derailment

Last edited Mon Jun 6, 2016, 11:33 AM - Edit history (1)

The article refers to PTC, or positive train control. Unless there's something I don't understand, that's a red herring here. I can't see what effect PTC would have had on this incident.

Oil-by-rail safety concerns likely to reignite after Oregon derailment

By Reuters Media Today at 8:35 a.m.

A Union Pacific train carrying crude oil derailed and burst into flames along Oregon's scenic Columbia River gorge on Friday in the first major rail accident involving crude in a year. ... While no injuries were reported, the train remained engulfed in flames six hours after the derailment, officials said. The accident has already renewed calls for stronger regulation to guard communities against crude-by-rail accidents.
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The crude was bought by TrailStone Inc's U.S. Oil & Refining Co and bound for its refinery in Tacoma, Washington, some 200 miles (322 km) northwest of the derailment, the company said.
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The incident comes eight months after lawmakers extended a deadline until the end of 2018 for rail operators to implement advanced safety technology, known as positive train control, or PTC, which safety experts say can avoid derailments and other major accidents. ... The measures included phasing out older tank cars, adding electronic braking systems and imposing speed limits, all meant to reduce the frequency and severity of oil train crashes.

The tank cars involved in Friday's crash were CPC-1232 models, which elected officials have raised concerns about in the past even though they are an upgrade from older models considered less safe. On Friday, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon repeated his call from last year for federal officials to look into whether the newer cars were safe enough.