Oil train routes in US dangerous: report

BILLINGS, MT, April 5, 2017 – About 24,000 defects were found on railroads used for volatile crude transportation in the US over the past two years, news agencies reported on Wednesday.

The inspections started after a series of accidents that resulted in dozens of deaths, injuries and spills, the Associated Press reported.

In numerous cases spanning 44 states, problems were discovered ranging from worn rails to missing bolts and cracked steel bars. Some 1,118 violation recommendations were filed, the report added.

“All of this is a call for continued vigilance,” Steven Ditmeyer, the former head of the Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Research and Development, told AP.

“One defect or one violation of the right kind can cause a derailment.”

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