Most of the crude oil extracted from the Alberta oil sands, shale oil from the Dakotas, and corn-based ethanol is transported by rail. This has put tremendous strain on our freight rail capacity and adds to the energy overhead associated with these fuel sources. This article from the Windsor Star reports that the volume of liquid fuel transported via freight rail has exploded since 2005 (On occasion, the fuel actually explodes as was the case last summer when a train derailment in Lac-Megantic, Quebec killed 47 people). This boom in rail transport has created a serious bottleneck in the supply chain for many industries, including the auto industry. The article highlights an ongoing situation where hundreds of new minivans are stranded in Detroit due to a lack of rail cars need to transport them to distribution points.
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2014/04/23/finished-minvans-sit-on-detroit-riverfront-due-to-rail-car-shortage/
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