Maine DOT Says Existing Rail Safety Guidelines are Adequate

A rail safety review ordered by Maine Gov. Paul LePage following a train disaster that claimed 47 lives north of the border in Quebec has determined that existing practices are adequate.

The Maine Department of Transportation said the scenario of a runaway train wouldn’t happen in the state if railroads follow their own guidelines and those of federal regulators.

A train operated by Maine-based Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway with 72 oil tankers began rolling while unattended and derailed with a fiery explosion in the small town of Lac-Megantic. The company’s chairman blamed the train’s operator for failing to set enough hand brakes.

LePage says that the survey results are “encouraging.” He says operators of all forms of transportation must “put safety first for themselves and for all Mainers.”