Railway officials explain safety measures

Of the estimated 35 trains per day that roll through Whitefish, about one or two are hauling tank cars full of crude oil.

BNSF Railway spokesman Matt Jones shared these facts and others during a presentation March 19 for the Whitefish Lions Club that mostly focused on the rail company’s safety protocols and standards.

Jones said there’s been heightened attention on BNSF in the past year after a handful of derailments involving trainloads of crude oil.

In July, 47 people were killed in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, when a runaway train carrying crude from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota derailed and exploded, burning much of the downtown area.

Then in December, a BNSF train carrying Bakken crude derailed and exploded in North Dakota. No one was injured, but about 1,400 people evacuated from the nearby town of Casselton.

“People have a lot of questions,” Jones told the audience gathered at the Pin and Cue.

The Berkshire Hathaway-owned railroad company has steadily increased train volumes since hitting a low during the recession. Last year, nationwide, BNSF carried 10,093 trainloads, nearly matching its peak in 2006.

“We anticipate getting back to peak this year,” Jones said. “It’s been a long, steady slog back.”

The strongest growth has come in crude oil shipments. About 70 percent of crude from the Williston Basin is shipped by rail.

Jones said BNSF has invested billions of dollars into capital improvements to make shipments safer, while also taking additional measures in response to the tragedy in Quebec.

Trains can no longer be left unattended on main line or side tracks.

“They’re going to lock the cabin and remove the operating handle,” Jones said.

The top speed for crude trains also has been capped at 50 miles per hour.

The U.S. Transportation Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration currently is looking into new rules that call for safer tank cars.

“We don’t want to wait that long,” Jones said. “We want to advance the ball.”

BNSF is phasing out older DOT-111 tanker cars and currently is looking to purchase 5,000 beefed up tankers with thicker walls and ends, and other safety features.

“That’s potentially a $1 billion investment by BNSF,” Jones said.

He noted that it’s unusual for a railroad company to own railcars. Shippers, refineries or leasing companies typically own the tank cars.

“We support 100 percent the efforts to make sure that freight of all kinds is properly labeled and packaged and put in the right equipment so that we’re able to ship it safely and respond appropriately if anything does happen,” Jones said.

Locally, of the 35 trains per day that move through Whitefish, about half are hauling grain, Jones estimates. A quarter of shipments are carrying consumer products — moving east full and west empty — while the remaining shipments are a mix of crude, coal and lumber.

Jones says there are internal hazmat responders based in Whitefish, and some advanced mitigation tools are staged in town should a spill or derailment occur.

“Whitefish, for the size of the community, is extremely well prepared,” he said. “It’s a critical terminal for BNSF. We have a lot resources and employees here and an excellent relationship with local responders.”