Administration to unveil stricter rules for carrying crude by rail

The Obama administration will unveil new rules Wednesday proposing more stringent safety standards on trains carrying crude oil and other flammable fuels.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is expected to announce the new rules, which will include standards for tank cars, speed limits for trains carrying crude oil, brake standards and testing for oil and other flammable liquids, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

{mosads}A Department of Transportation representative confirmed to The Hill that the announcement will be made Wednesday.

The federal rules have been anxiously awaited by the railroad and oil industries, which have met with White House and Transportation Department officials multiple times over the last few months.

Concerns on Capitol Hill over crude-by-rail accidents have increased due to the growing number of derailments in the last year.

Shipments of oil on trains have surged in the last few years as a result of increased production in North Dakota’s Bakken formation. Earlier this year the Transportation Department labeled Bakken crude oil as highly flammable and warned first responders to treat it with care during any accident.