"Alberta Train Derailment Renews Fears Over Moving Oil By Rail"

"Nine blackened tankers are scattered around the site. Part of the rail is mangled, warped, and burned black."



"A train carrying propane and crude that crashed in the hamlet of Gainford, Alta., early Saturday morning is once again raising questions about the safety of moving oil by rail in Canada, particularly in the wake of July’s fatal rail disaster in Lac-Mégantic, Que. No one was hurt in Gainford, but it was Canadian National Railway Co.’s third notable derailment in the past month involving hazardous materials, and it caused explosions and fire on both sides of a four-line highway.

Alberta’s oil industry is a key reason rail has become a popular shipping method. As oil-sands production climbs, the amount of available space on North America’s pipeline network declines. The province’s energy industry could stall if shipping by rail came off the table."

Carrie Tait and Kim Mackrael report for the Toronto Globe and Mail October 20, 2013.

SEE ALSO:

"Train Derailment, Explosions Force Evacuation of Alberta Community" (Toronto Globe and Mail)

Source: Toronto Globe & Mail, 10/21/2013