Minnesota train derailment and ethanol fire highlights rail safety concerns.

A train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in Minnesota, raising questions about train safety and whether new regulations are needed to prevent more of these dangerous incidents from happening in the future. Human error, track defects, and equipment failures are the biggest causes of derailments, and staffing cuts railroads have made in recent years and their resistance to more costly equipment upgrades may be contributing factors. There have been fewer train derailments over time, but those that do occur tend to be worse because companies have increasingly made trains longer. Recent accidents have led to discussions at the federal level about reinstating safety rules.