by gokeefe
Gilbert B Norman wrote:While of course no minimizing of Megantic can ever take place, this relatively minor Lynchburg incident is going to prove a 'PR nightmare' for the industry.I strongly agree. There are several mitigating factors which have reduced the psychological impact of the Megantic incident. First and foremost is the perception of operational weakness on the part of MMA. This was a railroad that had a questionable safety record and was using operational techniques which were not considered "best practices". The physical plant was also in questionable condition. All of these factors, some of which had nothing at all to do with the disaster in a forensic sense, had an effect on the public perception of the incident.
CSX on the other hand has absolutely no such reputation. They are one of a handful of massive North American Class I railroads which safely carry enormous volumes of hazardous materials every year. And yet, there they were ruptured tank cars sitting in a river spilling oil and burning the rest.
Gilbert B Norman wrote:Finally, there is no question whatever that CSX has the resources, internal or insured, to satisfy any legitimate claimant in this matter, it appears the PR will be a different story.I think CSX has a good opportunity to make this a story about DOT-111 cars and not them. I also think that would be a legitimate move on their part. I could also see additional safety restrictions being placed on these kinds of operations in the mean time. For example bumping speed limits down by two classes for this type of cargo (e.g. DOT-111 cars carrying crude oil are limited to Class II speeds on Class IV track).
gokeefe