A Train Derailment Causes Concern *****UPDATED*****

   26 cars on a westbound CN freight jumped the tracks just west of Wadena, near the tiny community of Clair yesterday morning. The train was carrying hazardous goods, and at least 2 cars containing petroleum products did burst into flame. There were concerns, because several other cars were hauling hydrochloric acid. Fortunately, none leaked.
   50 people in the small community were forced to flee their homes, and as of this writing, they were still waiting for the all-clear to return.
   Transport Safety Board investigators were to have arrived last night, and will be conducting a very thorough review of the incident.
   And, as in other derailments where haz-mats are involved, questions about rail safety and alerting communities about what's being hauled are being raised. One advocacy group suggests rail companies are not doing a good enough job with safety in light of this derailment and the one in Lac Megantic, Quebec last year that killed some 45 people. The group goes as far as saying there are no regulations requiring rail companies to make public disclosures.
   I live less than half a kilometer from a set of tracks, and yes, I am a bit concerned about what's being transported. But I also don't think requiring public notification would realistically work. For example, how much more work would it take for rail companies and shippers to compile the list? And just how would that be made public in the first place? We get quite a few trains through Yorkton on a daily basis, on both lines, so it could become a logistical nightmare.
   The darker side of public declarations is this: Would it not make a haz-mat train a target for terrorists?
   I think more could be done on the infrastructure side of things. Repairing or replacing tracks, rolling stock etc. Sure, it's be expensive, but what do dollars matter when public safety is at risk?

TTFN
*****UPDATE: As of 10:30 a.m, all the evacuees were being allowed back to their homes and surrounding farms*****