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Transport minister: Crude-by-rail operators following Canadian DOT-111 ban
The incredible opportunity represented by oil trains may yet be lost to railroads due to the perception of risk. Remember the nuclear power industry (safe in France, halted in the USA)? The railroads and shippers could take steps now: i) Limiting oil trains to safer routes; ii) Speed limits and restrictions on opposing traffic; iii) Requirements for filing transit plans with authorities along the way; and iv) No one-man crews. This is all without phasing out the DOT-111 cars, which needs to be done but will take time. The public needs to feel safe, and be on our side!
The shortage of general purpose tank cars in non-class 3 and\or nonhaz will obviously be coming to an end. (At least in the 25 - 30,000 gallon nominal size.) If you are liquid fertilizer, biodiesel, liquid latex, corn oil, lubrication oil, used oil, etc. shipper these GP tank cars will become available as they fall out of crude and ethanol service. Some of these products are being trucked today because of lack of tank cars. One segments loss will be another segments gain.