Caltrans Seeks Ideas On Freight Mobility

[bing101]

http://www.capradio.org/articles/2014/06/16/caltrans-seeks-ideas-on-freight-mobility/

"State transportation planners want your ideas on how to move freight, including oil-by-rail, more effectively through California while keeping communities safe. A series of public workshops begins Tuesday. A lot more crude oil imported into California from an oil boom in North Dakota will be arriving by trains. That worries Devora Ancel of the Sierra Club.
"Because it's very volatile it can explode," says Ancel "and we've seen that in a number of railcar accidents, explosions that have devastated communities across our country."
Bruce Deterra is with Caltrans: "So the movement of oil by train is of course a big issue that's getting a lot of attention right now."
Caltrans is developing what's called the California Freight Mobility Plan and is asking for public ideas. Deterra points out that most rail regulation is up to the federal government which is currently working on new safety rules."


Umm still in planing stages

[pctech]

According to an article in the last Trains magazine the railroads/shippers are already getting ahead of the curve on the tank car safety issue.They are speeding to purchase new design tank cars, before new regulations kick in.  My question would be why are we having so many derailments? I don't think the tank cars themselves are responsible for most of them , maybe it's poor track maintenance....Hmmmm. I'm no rail track inspection expert, but a LOT of the track here looks suspect. Loose spikes, rotted cross-ties,ballast washed out,etc.