During a D.C. City Council meeting last Monday, CSX Transportation, the owner of a rail line that runs near downtown D.C., refused to disclose any details in security changes including whether they are re-routing trains. Both CSX and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) refrained from discussing plans, citing security concerns. DHS did disclose that a working group called the D.C. Rail Corridor Project has developed measures to heighten security along the rail lines. Specific information on the working group and its plans is not publicly available.
Calculations have determined that an attack on a 90-ton rail car containing chlorine inside the nation's capital could kill up to 100,000 people. While only a small number of the 8,000 cars that pass through the city each year contain such volatile chemicals, the threat remains significant. The irony is that if hazardous shipments are being re-routed then the companies and DHS are promoting secrecy for a problem that has already been fixed. Some believe that the secrecy may be an attempt to prevent or delay other major cities from pursuing similar re-routing procedures, which would cost the rail companies money.
In response to the concerns about hazardous shipments, the D.C. Council voted on an emergency bill Nov. 9 that would have banned the shipment of any hazardous materials through the city. CSX and the Department of Transportation opposed the bill. Support from D.C. Council members and the mayor shifted and the bill ultimately failed.