Las Vegas Sun

April 20, 2024

A BNSF Railway train hauls crude oil west of Wolf Point, Mont. As common as the mile-long trains have become across the U.S. and Canada, dozens of officials in the towns and cities where they travel say they are concerned they are not adequately prepared to handle an emergency, whether it is a derailment, a large spill or an explosion like those in Canada in July or another in Alabama in November. Railroad officials say that despite the high-profile accidents, transporting oil by trains is safe and that they also have crews stationed around the country to respond to emergencies.

Matthew Brown/AP

A BNSF Railway train hauls crude oil west of Wolf Point, Mont. As common as the mile-long trains have become across the U.S. and Canada, dozens of officials in the towns and cities where they travel say they are concerned they are not adequately prepared to handle an emergency, whether it is a derailment, a large spill or an explosion like those in Canada in July or another in Alabama in November. Railroad officials say that despite the high-profile accidents, transporting oil by trains is safe and that they also have crews stationed around the country to respond to emergencies.