The decision will hinder trains as they travel to local refineries and export terminals.
The city council vote opposed the “transportation of hazardous fossil fuel materials” along existing rail lines and through densely populated areas.
The city is looking towards California government as well as regional governments to take action on coal-train safety as lawmakers in the nearby cities of David and Berkeley also propose their own coal-train blocks.
The move to block coal trains is just one step the town has taken away from coal.
Oakland operates a large port, which has recently been rejecting the coal industry’s efforts to use it for coal exports, despite its proximity to a major oil refinery.
Local governments along the US west coast have been taking action to stop coal trains passing through their towns in a bid to reduce coal dust pollution and the resulting health impacts.
However, as it stands only the federal government has the legal right to regulate the transportation of fossil fuels.
In another blow to the resource industry, Oakland also passed a fossil-fuel disinvestment bill. The bill will urge pension funds to ditch its stocks in non-renewables.
