Chicago Magazine reports that 'bomb trains' are rolling through the Windy City
The so-called "bomb trains," which move along different, top-secret routes, carry mostly Bakken crude - a type known to be particularly explosive.
The trains are usually comprised of traditional tank cars which can carry up to 30,000 gallons each.
While derailments are rare, they're not unheard of. The magazine reported that there were at least 17 such incidents in North America in the previous three years:
A 63-car derailment in Quebec made headlines in 2013 after its cargo exploded in the middle of a small town, killing 47 and leveling 30 buildings.
New technology such as fracking and horizontal drilling have created an oil boom in the upper Midwest, and without the established pipeline infrastructure already in place to transport oil from the gulf region, producers have no choice but to ship by rail.
Chicago Magazine reported that at least 40 of these trains roll through the city every week, carrying a total of about 17 million gallons of Bakken crude.
The United States department of Transportation ordered last year that trains carrying crude oil be limited to no more than 40 MPH when traveling through heavily populated areas, though most trains run at an average of just 30 MPH.
Regulations that require new safety features for tank cars, including thicker steel shells, do not take effect until 2025.
Read the original story in Chicago Magazine here.