The number of freight trains carrying oil across America has soared in the past five years, but federal officials warn that the massive steel tank cars that carry most of that oil through towns and past schools – the same cars that exploded in Quebec this summer, killing 47 – may be unsafe and prone to rupture.
“The clock is ticking,” said Jim Arie, fire chief of the Chicago suburb of Barrington, Ill., where the number of trains that rumble across Main Street has grown from five a day to nearly one an hour. “As long as these rail cars are out there and they’re being used, potential exists for a major disaster.”
Read the complete story at NBC News.
Related News
- What SMART-TD Members Need to Know as SEPTA Strike Looms For TWU
- Help Local 427 Compete to “Fill the Sleigh” With Donated Bikes
- Veteran Benefits Enhancement Act Protects Railroaders Who Served
- Brother loses leg to on-the-job injury, Needs Our Help
- Honoring Our Members Who Have Served: A Veterans Day Message from President Ferguson
- 2025 Houston Solidarity Rally: barbecue, brotherhood, and building power
- SMART-TD’s Chris Smith Wins City Council Seat in Tama, Iowa
- NTSB Issues Two Rail Safety Alerts
- Railroader Healthcare Costs Remain Stable While National Averages Soar
- Call to Action in Mass.: Transit Safety Legislation Up for Final Vote