Wisconsin Dells Wisconsin USA - As many as 40 trains will travel through the Dells to points north and south and some may be carrying dangerous or hazardous cargo that could cause a disaster.
 
Representatives of Canadian Pacific, which owns the railroad line in this area, described emergency response and safety procedures for the railroad at a session Tuesday evening for Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton police, fire, and EMS personnel as well as some members of the Dells council.
 
Brenda Rivera, a community relations specialist with CP, thanked those in attendance for coming to the session and started the presentations with some statistics on CP.
 
The privately owned railroad has 14,700 miles of track in the United States and Canada and employs 15,000 people.
 
"We are committed to being the safest railroad in North America," she said.
 
Of cargo considered dangerous, Rivera said 99.998 percent reaches its destination without a train incident.
 
CP has reduced its accident rate by 91 percent since 1980 and 38 percent since 2000 at the same time the volume of goods it carries has increased.
 
Nationally, train accidents have been reduced by 76 percent from 1980 to 2011, Rivera said, and CP has the best safety record.
 
Safety Procedures
 
To keep its tracks safe, CP follows procedures for track maintenance that include visual inspections, two to four person crews that check tracks, an annual review, and some high tech equipment, Rivera said.
 
The company uses rail flaw detectors, a device, that inspects tracks with ultrasound that can detect internal flaws in the steel of the tracks.
 
It also uses a track evaluation car that can x-ray the track and it works in conjunction with GPS to report where repairs are needed.
 
In addition to track inspections, Rivera said every train is inspected before it departs.
 
Crews inspect air brake pressure, conditions of hoses and bearings, for safe working conditions, and for loose or dragging parts.
 
Each car on the train has an automatic equipment identifier that is read by a reader along the track.
 
This produces an electronic list of all the cars and what is in the cars, Rivera said.
 
Rivera noted that CP does not own freight cars.
 
Trainmaster Tom Meierhoff, who is based in Portage, said CP owns a few tanker cars that it uses to haul diesel to fuel locomotives.
 
A locomotive holds 40,000 gallons of diesel and gets 400 miles to the gallon while a tanker car will hold about 66,000 gallons.
 
Meierhoff said most tankers are loaded by weight not volume.
 
The shipper can lease a railroad car from a company that deals in them or may own the car.
 
It fills the car and contracts with the railroad to deliver it.
 
Rivera noted that under federal regulations governing railroads, CP cannot refuse to transport a cargo.
 
CP customers who request transportation of goods have to supply a bill of lading stating what is in the car and have to have a 24 hour contact for the car's cargo, she said.
 
Dangerous goods, which can be chemicals, oils, or materials that present a hazard, are highly regulated, she noted.
 
CP Training
 
Rivera also described how conductors and engineers are trained.
 
The conductor and engineer are the only persons on a freight.
 
The train may have more than one locomotive but all the locomotives in a train are controlled from one locomotive.
 
To be a conductor takes six months of training and they are re-certified every two years.
 
To be an engineer requires from six to 12 months of training and they have to have two years of prior work experience.
 
Engineers are re-certified every three years.
 
While Rivera described the training and the safety procedures followed by CP, she also urged municipalities and counties to have emergency plans.
 
"We can't deny something could take place," she said.
 
This month a coal train derailed in Caledonia near Kenosha and on 4 Jul 1982, a coal train derailed in the Dells destroying the depot.
 
Incidentally, coal is not considered a dangerous cargo, Rivera said.
 
The 1982 derailment was not the first for the Dells.
 
In June 1956, 30 cars of a freight train derailed in the Dells about 400 yards east of the railroad bridge.
 
Emergency Plans
 
Developing an emergency plan with CP, Rivera said, can involve three phases.
 
The first phase is the overview, she presented in the Dells Wednesday.
 
The second is a table top exercise and she noted that recently Portage had one.
 
The third phase is mock exercise, which the city would have to fund, but grants to do so are available.
 
Rivera said CP also offers "Railroads 101" a training program for fire and police.
 
For emergencies, CP has a 24/7 network of resources, equipment, and experts it can bring to an emergency to limit the impact.
 
Equipment and experts could be on the scene in two to three hours.
 
The first priority in response to a disaster is community and employee safety, Rivera said.
 
Second priority is environmental mitigation and remediation, the third is investigation, and the last is restoration of the railroad.
 
Investigations are done by the National Transportation Safety Board.
 
Alderperson David Murray asked who was in command of the scene of a disaster.
 
Meierhoff said the local commander and any CP personnel or experts are subordinate to whomever is commanding the scene locally.
 
That is the person who is funneled information from CP's experts, he said.
 
"We don't take over the scene."
 
Members of the audience asked questions after Rivera's formal presentation including these:

• How is the local jurisdiction notified? The train crew calls their dispatcher and the CP dispatcher calls the local jurisdiction;
   
  
• How does the dispatcher know who to call? The CP dispatcher has a map showing each jurisdiction along the rail line;
   
  
• Could CP police be along the tracks for festivals like the 4th of July fireworks in the Dells? Crews are advised of festivals, and CP would have officers if it had enough manpower. It only has two railroad police officers in the state. Trains cannot stop for festivals, Meierhoff said.

Wisconsin Dells Police Chief Jody Ward said he tried to get a schedule of trains through the Dells one year when a marathon was crossing the tracks on Bowman Road and could not get a schedule.
 
"Trains can come at any time," Rivera said. The schedule for a freight train is the time of departure. Freights can be stopped for other trains or slowed."
 
Meierhoff said the timing of trains through the Dells would not be known until the day in question.
 
He did give Ward his number to call to check.
 
Community Complaints and Funds
 
Rivera said Ward could also call CP's Community Connection line, 1-800-766-7912.
 
She also told Mayor Landers to refer people to that number if they have complaints about trains.
 
Wisconsin Dells/Lake Delton Parks and Recreation Department Director Thad Meister also asked Rivera about who to speak to about replacing fencing along the railroad at Veterans Park.
 
The lack of a fence and its need of repairs posses a safety hazard for children using the ball field there.
 
The fence could be a perfect example of a project to which CP might make a financial or in-kind donation or grant.
 
She said the company likes to get involved in community programs involving safety, the environment, or people, and community organizations can apply for donations or a grant.
 
CP also makes donations to fire departments.
 
The place to start for that information is the Community Connection line 1-800-766-7912.
 
Community Connection can also be reached online at www.cpr.ca.

Kay James.