DOT-111 rail cars full of ethanol burn after derailing and catching fir in Rockford, Ill., in 2009. The same type of car, DOT-111, ferries oil from the Midwest to New York. Photo: AP
Dangerous, outdated rail cars are moving millions of gallons of oil from the Midwest to New York, and safety experts say they can easily explode if they derail.
The DOT-111 tank cars, which make up about 70 percent of the cars used by the energy industry, have thin shells that easily crack open if a train goes off the tracks.
They are also prone to failure, the National Transportation Safety Board has said after investigating fiery crashes involving the tank cars
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) called for new federal requirements that all future tank car purchases to be safer, more modern models.
“The thought of a train jumping the tracks is scary enough,” said Schumer. “A train derailing while carrying millions of barrels of oil in tank cars, that’s really frightening.”
DOT-111 rail cars like this are dangerous, experts say, but make up 70 percent of the cars used by the energy industry.Photo: AP
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