During the week of April 11th, TC&W hosted the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI)
Hazardous Material training train. On Tuesday April 12th & Thursday April 14th TC&W and SLSI was able to provide training to several fire and police departments along the infrastructure which included Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Cologne, Norwood Young America, Plato, Glencoe, Olivia and Hamburg, MN along with personnel from Met Council working on the South West Light Rail project. Also in attendance were officials from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) & Minnesota Department of Transportation (MN DOT) hazardous material inspectors. The topics covered with these groups were, safety on railroad property, including safety considerations at the scene of a rail incident, rail cars (placards, markings, components) & train documents.
On Wednesday April 13th TC&W forces, which included personnel from Operations, Maintenance of Way and Administration attended training on Safety, Tank Car Inspection, Hazard Communication/Identification, Preparedness (response plans, first responders/community, contractors), Reporting (federal/state/local notifications, spill reporting), Response (incident command system) and lastly a table top exercise which included a derailment of hazardous material, and steps/processes taken by employees and their roles within TC&W’s teams. In total, training to approximately 75 men and women was provided throughout the three days.
