(The Associated Press circulated the following article on February 4.)
BISMARCK, N.D. — Sen. Byron Dorgan is asking the Federal Railroad Administration to tighten a proposed rule on the inspection of railroad track joints.
The rule is the result of legislation passed after the January 2002 Canadian Pacific Railway derailment and chemical spill at Minot that killed one man and injured hundreds of people.
It lays out how often tracks should be inspected. Dorgan, D-N.D., said it is a “one-size-fits-all” approach that ignores the fact that some rail lines are at a higher risk for flaws that lead to accidents.
“North Dakota’s climate and economy are quite different than in other areas of the country, and as a result our needs are different when it comes to the safety of our railroads,” he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said inadequate track maintenance and inspections were to blame for the Minot derailment, a finding the railroad disputed.