Safety standards lag oil train traffic
By From The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle,
With freight trains likely to rumble through the Rochester area laden with combustible crude oil for the foreseeable future, the private company that operates the rails, and state and federal authorities who provide oversight, must make safety a top priority. Reducing the volatility of the crude oil and ensuring local railroad bridges are not structurally compromised are two steps in the right direction.
As staff writer Steve Orr detailed in Sunday's watchdog report, railroad bridges have long fallen through the cracks of government oversight. As a result, some of them have developed cracks of their own — and worse. The CSX bridge that carries trains over North Main Street in the village of Pittsford, for example, is riddled with loose bolts, rust and corrosion.
http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2014-08-25-88985.113122-Safety-standards-lag-oil-train-traffic.html