"A major rail industry group is calling for updating or phasing out thousands of tank cars used to carry crude oil, as federal officials weigh new regulations on moving hazardous materials by rail."

"The Association of American Railroads is urging U.S. regulators to require retrofits for roughly 72,000 older tank cars that haul flammable substances such as crude and ethanol, plus minor upgrades for an additional 14,000 newer cars. The AAR also recommends an 'aggressive phase-out' of cars that can't meet retrofit requirements, the group said yesterday in comments filed with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

PHMSA, an arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation, is seeking public input for long-awaited updates to its tank car regulations. Two recent oil train explosions -- one in Quebec this summer and another last week in Alabama -- have heightened public scrutiny of the fast-growing crude-by-rail market."

Blake Sobczak reports for EnergyWire November 15, 2013. [2]