'Rail still safest for hazardous goods' - TFR

The recent derailment of a train carrying crude oil in Quebec, Canada has put the safe transportation of hazardous and dangerous goods firmly in the spotlight. Fifty people are believed to have died in the accident. According to a report by EyeforTransport, the Canadian Railway Association has long promoted the cost-effectiveness of oil transportation by rail rather than pipeline – and questions are now being raised about safety versus cost. Given the high accident rates – and the large volumes of freight transported on South Africa’s roads – rail is often seen as a “much safer” option, particularly when it comes to the transportation of hazardous and dangerous goods. In South Africa, crude oil is not transported by rail, but rather by pipeline. “The liquid fuels network traverses the provinces of KwaZulu Natal, Free State, Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga,” Transnet Freight Rail senior communications manager, Mike Asefovitz, told FTW. South Africa’s pipelines are mostly underground and while accidents do occur –most notably on December 24, 2001 when a methane-rich pipeline exploded in Tongaat, South Africa and almost destroyed a nearby school, according to non-profit organisation in South Africa, groundWork – global thinking seems to be that pipelines are generally safer, according to the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. The institute’s June 2013 report revealed that rail shipments were more than three times as likely as pipeline shipments to lead to a spill or fire. It said road shipments were more than 30 times as likely to lead to a spill. Asefovitz says TFR does transport various hazardous substances ranging from petrol and diesel to aviation fuel and sulphuric acid. “But we have integrated contingency plans, both proactive and reactive, to ensure safe transportation and manage incidents,” he said. CAPTION Fireballs resulting from the derailment on July 6 of the freight train carrying crude oil that destroyed the town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, Canada. Photo: Canada.com