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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Shady Cove amputee guides other amputees in wheelchair-accessible driftboat ... Goodbye El Niño, hello La Niña ... Tied Oregon primary race decided by rolling dice ... Shady Cove amputee guides other amputees in wheelchair-accessible driftboat ... Goodbye El Niño, hello La Niña ... Tied Oregon primary race decided by rolling dice ... RAILROADS Union Pacific railroad fined $7 million in 2 years ODOT official says repeated violations 'concerning,' but appear unrelated to derailment Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jun. 12, 2016 at 6:39 PM By The Associated Press Posted Jun. 12, 2016 at 6:39 PM » Social News PORTLAND — Union Pacific penalties surpass those of every railroad nationwide for the past two years. The Oregonian/OregonLive obtained inspection records and reported that the Federal Railroad Agency fined Union Pacific over $7 million from 2014 through 2015. An Oregon Department of Transportation inspection found repeated safety violations the day before Union Pacific train cars carrying crude oil derailed and caught fire on June 3. The issues listed by state inspectors appear unrelated to the derailment. Oregon Department of Transportation rail administrator Hal Gard said "there had been a history of violations that we thought were concerning." He said inspectors were repeatedly visiting two yards. "That was intensive and intentional to get attention and make a point that something's going on here and the program needs to be tightened up," Gard said. Conductors left trains in Portland yards without setting breaks on multiple occasions, which an expert said could cause runaway trains. "If we're on an incline, which most track has, it can be imperceptible that you have movement," said retired state rail safety inspector Michael Eyer. "They can start rolling. It's very serious. You just can't do that." Inspectors also found four instances since September when switches were left unlocked and made it possible for anyone to pull a lever and reroute a train. "Someone could throw a switch and derail the whole train. That is a very serious issue," Eyer said. "A train coming along would find itself at 40 mph suddenly running out of track or running into a parked train." A Union Pacific spokesman said the railroad stands by its safety record. "Our safety record is very good and we stand by it," Justin Jacobs said. "We take that obligation very seriously and we commit that to our customers and the communities in which we serve." By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jun. 12, 2016 at 6:39 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501