A train carrying crude oil derailed and caught fire in downtown Lynchburg, Va., today, Reuters reports. There were no reported injuries, but at least 300 people within a half-mile radius of the incident have been evacuated. City officials reported that burning oil was spilling into the James River, which runs into Chesapeake Bay. The train is owned by CSX Corp., which suffered a similar accident in January when one of its crude oil trains derailed in Philadelphia.
The recent spate of crude oil train incidents has led the railroad industry and federal regulators to take action to improve crude-by-rail safety. Recent studies have shown that oil from the Bakken shale, much of which is being transported to U.S. refineries by rail, may be more flammable than other types of crude. The origin of the oil carried by the CSX train that derailed in Virginia today is not yet known.
