The operator of the runaway train that derailed and exploded in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, this weekend recorded an accident rate far higher than the U.S. average over the past 10 years, federal data show. A train operated by Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway Inc., a subsidiary of U.S. train operator Rail World Inc., is at the center of a Canadian probe after the train was left unmanned at a crew rest stop and slammed into the small town early Saturday, triggering a deadly explosion and fire. Rail World is controlled by a Chicago-area railroad veteran, Edward Burkhardt...[who] has...faced criticism for...championing the controversial use of remote-controlled trains in rail yards and one-person crews...[M]easured by accidents and incidents per million miles traveled, MM&A has a much higher rate [in USA] than the national average, federal data show...Comparing safety data among railroads can be difficult because...they operate in different settings and conditions. Also many of the incidents aren't the fault of train operators...Mr. Burkhardt said that since the 1980s major U.S and Canadian railroads sold off railroad, keeping the high-volume, well-maintained main lines that are less prone to small train accidents. This skews the statistics for short-line operators, like MM&A, who took on the less used, regional branches, he said...Mr. Burkhardt said...his employees followed all safety precautions. [also refers to Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Railway]