If you talk to the oil folks up here (who are pro pipeline and pro oil) - they say the building of the pipeline will not lessen the amount of oil transported by train... The places many of these current trains transport to (east and west coast refineries) don't have pipelines- and the trains move the oil faster... Also the majority of the oil in the finalized XL pipeline will be Canadian oil (altho the former Montana Governor got a concession from the Pipeline to transport a % of the Bakken oil)...
In fact I've seen a couple of articles lately (which include statements from the oilmen) that say the Bakken doesn't need the XL pipeline....
It is appearing as tho it was the grain train that derailed striking the oil train (that was bound for an eastern refinery) it was meeting... Altho BN has spent Billions $ replacing, repairing, and building new track, they just haven't been able to keep up with the demand... Locally the farmers and grain folks are complaining because the oil has taken away from the railroads ability to move grain....They have plans for much more double track and sidings- but with the shorter construction periods and the fact the railroad has not been able to find enough employees to meet the new demand (shipping some in from as far away as Texas and California)...
The jobs pay great- they just can't find enough
qualified help...They may have 60-70 from around the country show up for interviews- and the moment they mention doing drug tests they are left with 10- of which maybe 1/2 will be hireable...
Already (since the wreck) the railroad has instituted rules slowing the trains while meeting other trains - which also slows movement of all products and raises costs...
The Pipeline has met more local opposition since the disclosure of several big pipeline spills in ND... So neither is perfect- nor without their problems ... In a FB thread yesterday, I saw most locals support the railroad over the pipeline- because the railroad provides such a huge number of
permanent top paying jobs...
To me- if we want to totally be free of the foreign oil and of pictures like below- we need both the Pipeline and the rail transfer of oil...