Rail congestion isn’t the only threat posed by the proposed increase in oil trains. Good reporting on thousands of dangerous rail crossings from KING 5 News in Seattle:

Rail crossing

In 2011, an accident at a private crossing in Kelso killed three people. The crossing was owned by the railroad itself and did not have any safety systems besides for a stop sign.

There are 3,000 railroad crossings in Washington that may be unsafe, according to a new report released by the Department of Ecology and the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC).

The report asks for authority to hire new railroad inspectors and expand their jurisdiction to include the 3,000 private crossings that currently have no safety rules.

UTC estimates more than 100 oil trains will pass through Washington each week by 2020. Currently, there are 19 oil trains each week.

Watch the 5-minute news segment at KING 5