ABSTRACT
Pipelines, tunnels, and underground rail transports are some of the prime economic mechanisms not only in the United States but also in other nations; however, these infrastructures remain vulnerable to sabotage. Multiple disasters can be created by terrorists: for instance, intentional automobile accidents with two rail transits causing disruptions that will produce explosions of gas or petroleum pipelines. On June 4, 1989, two trains were involved in an accident that resulted in an explosion of a gas pipeline near Ufa, Russia, in which there were approximately 645 casualties and 800 injured. A similar event can easily occur in a single terror attack within a large metropolitan area in the United States, Russia, Middle East, Asia, and Europe when no advanced protective systems are applied. Paul Parfomak (2004) stated that, some 470,000 miles of oil and gas transmission pipelines crisscross the United States, with links to Mexico and Canada. There are 88,000 miles of crude pipelines, 254,000 miles of transmission pipelines, 91,000 miles of product lines, 981,000 miles of freight pipelines, 120,986 miles by Class 1 freight railroads, 21,250 miles by regional freight railroads, 28,422 miles by local freight railroads, and 22,741 miles by Amtrak passenger rails (DOT/BOT 2002).
