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4/25/2014
In mid-May, a CSX Transportation train designed to provide hazardous materials-related emergency preparedness training for first responders will take to the rails, traveling over much of the Class I's crude oil service territory during the next several months.CSX's Safety Train: Emergency Preparedness Program will feature rolling classrooms and provide hands-on training for firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians and other first responders. The train will be comprised of a locomotive, four tank cars, one flat car equipped with a variety of tank car valves and fittings, two classroom cars and a caboose. CSX hazardous materials specialists will lead training sessions to provide specific instructions on how crude oil is shipped. The train will visit numerous communities in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. "As the market for shipping crude oil has grown, so has our commitment to and responsibility for moving those shipments safely and efficiently," said Skip Elliott, CSX's vice president-public safety, health and environment. The railroad also provides sessions at training centers operated by CSX and the Association of American Railroads, classroom training at local fire stations, exercises and table-top drills, and web-based and self-study courses. In September 2013, nearly 100 crude oil customers were trained by a CSX team, according to a press release. In addition, the Class I continues to deploy its SecureNOW technology to first responders and security officials so they can track oil and other hazardous materials shipments in real time. Earlier this year, U.S. railroads reached a voluntary agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation to increase emergency response training. As part of the agreement, railroads also have lowered the maximum authorized speeds for certain trains carrying crude oil in designated cities, increased track inspections on key oil routes and agreed to implement additional trackside safety technology.