Railroad venture boosts number of oil trains in Minnesota
A new Canadian railroad venture is sparking a significant increase of 15 to 20 oil trains that run through Minnesota each month.
Canadian Pacific Railway's specialized new Canadian crude cargoes run on its main line, which bisects the Twin Cities. And the Canadian rail giant's recent deal to purchase a major U.S. railroad will likely make its new oil service even more appealing to shippers.
Oil-by-rail has stoked safety concerns in Minnesota and elsewhere since 2013 when an oil train in Quebec caught fire and exploded, killing 47 people.Since then, several more oil trains in North America have derailed and spilled, some catching fire.
Canadian Pacific declined to say how many of the new oil trains it's currently running. But during a conference call with analysts in July, the railroad's chief marketing officer said he expects "business to ramp up to 15 to 20 trains per month during the third quarter," which ended Sept. 30. Their destination: Port Arthur, Texas.
Read more: https://www.startribune.com/railroad-venture-significantly-increasing-number-of-oil-trains-running-through-minnesota/600107523/