The Association of American Railroads (AAR) issued a statement in response to a report published earlier this month by Waterkeeper Alliance in which claims were made that their members identified 250 railway bridges located on known oil train routes across 15 states with potential deficiencies that included slumping, vibrating, and crumbling concrete as trains passed over them. The article included photos of bridges with what appeared to be cracked and decayed foundations. It is important to note that in this article Waterkeeper Alliance acknowledged that their report was based solely on visual inspections performed by untrained members. Inspecting railway bridges is a complicated process and can only be accurately performed by individuals that have specialized training. Making such assumptions without this training is both misguided and misleading.
AAR wants to remind the public that these bridges, regardless of their age or appearance, were built to handle far heavier loads than are currently being carried by trains today and that inspections of these bridges are strictly monitored by the Federal Railroad Administration.
AAR went on to say that the public needs to remember that Waterkeeper Alliance is vehemently opposed to fossil fuels and used this document to advance their goal of eradicating fossil fuels.
