Crude Oil by Rail Accidents: Cross-industry Learning for High Hazard Sectors

Abstract

A sharp increase in fracking in 2008 sent crude oil production in North America soaring, leading to production quickly outgrowing existing pipeline capacity and record volumes of crude oil being hauled by rail. The high-profile crude oil train disaster at Lac-Mégantic (Canada) in 2013 was an unfortunate reminder of the dangers associated with this method of transportation and led to a permanent change in public perception alongside a re-examination of the regulatory approach. At the same time, opposition to pipeline projects such as Keystone XL meant that there remained a heavy reliance on the transportation of crude oil via rail, and there was significant resistance from rail operators towards retrofitting safety features and upgrading their rolling stock. Six years on from the accident at Lac-Mégantic, have the right lessons been learned and applied? This paper discusses the challenges behind the transportation of crude oil by rail, identifying and examining some of the universal learning opportunities for both established and emerging high hazard sectors.