"HEIMDAL, N.D. –- Railroad tracks where an oil train derailed Wednesday in central North Dakota had been inspected by BNSF Railway a day earlier and by the Federal Railroad Administration about three months before the fiery derailment, an FRA spokesman said Friday.

'Neither of those inspections noted any defects or violations,' Kevin Thompson said.

BNSF says federal regulations require four inspections per week on that section of track, but the company typically inspects it every day."

Mike Nowatzki reports for the Grand Forks Herald May 8, 2015. [2]