crude-by-rail

The revised rules under the Railway Safety Act address winter operations of higher-risk key trains.

Plans to halt construction of the Keystone XL pipeline will likely mean more crude oil volumes being shipped by rail. But how much more will depend on a variety of factors, including oil price spreads, other pipelines, oil storage options and the railroads’ ability to juggle volumes.

Initial reports reveal seven tank cars derailed in Washington state and two were on fire, said.

Canadian Pacific, CN, and the Canadian government are taking steps to ease the social and reputational risks, according to a Monday report by Moody’s Investors Service.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has determined that existing federal laws preempt a state law that restricted the rail transport of crude oils exceeding a certain vapor pressure limit.

The agencies’ report, which uses findings from Sandia National Laboratories, says a crude oil’s vapor pressure shouldn’t factor into deciding whether certain types of crude oil can be transported via rail.