Feds, railroad industry agree to slower speeds, better emergency response planning
In the wake of a series of fatal and environmentally catastrophic train accidents, the railroad industry and federal regulators have agreed on a set of voluntary measures intended to increase the safety of crude oil train shipments.
The agreement between the U.S. Transportation Department and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) which begins taking effect in late March, calls for slower speeds through major cities, more frequent track inspections and increased emergency response planning along routes that carry trains hauling a minimum of three million gallons of crude oil.