Railroads Press Against Proposals to Slow Oil Trains
U.S. railroads are rallying customers, including lumber and steel companies, to fight a government proposal to slow trains hauling crude oil.
Urged by railroads, more than a dozen companies and business groups are warning regulators that cutting speeds to 40 mph from 50 mph would have a cascading effect, delaying other trains sharing the tracks carrying cargo such as furniture, grain and electronics.
U.S. and Canadian regulators are considering new rules to prevent accidents involving trains hauling crude oil.
Crude carloads have surged 40-fold since 2008, and there were five accidents each in 2013 and 2014, compared with none in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The Association of American Railroads said the proposed speed restrictions “could dramatically affect the fluidity of the railroad network and impose tremendous costs without providing offsetting safety benefits.”
