AAR: Rail safety data shows progress, areas to improve

Newly released Federal Railroad Administration data for 2022 shows that the derailment rate for all railroads has fallen 31% since 2000, but the rate rose 3% over the past year, according to the Association of American Railroads.

The data also shows that the train accident rate is down 28% since 2000, and the last decade was the safest ever for rail transportation in the United States, AAR officials said in a press release.

The AAR announced the trends in the aftermath of the Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern Railway train in East Palestine, Ohio. The derailment led to a massive fire and some of the derailed rail cars leaked hazardous chemicals.

Other statistics, calculated per million train miles using data the FRA released this month, show improvements over the long term as well as continuing areas in need of improvement:

• Class I railroads' mainline accident rate is at an all-time low and down 49% since 2000. For all railroads, that rate has declined 44% since 2000.

• Track-caused accidents are down 55% since 2000 and are at their lowest-ever rate across the entire rail industry.

• Equipment-caused accidents were down 21% since 2000 but increased 15% compared to 2021.

• Per Class I employee, the casualty rate has dropped 63% since 2000 and is at an all-time low.

• Per carload, the hazardous materials accident rate is down 78% since 2000 and the lowest ever based on preliminary Bureau of Explosives data.

The association attributed safety improvements to rail employees' commitment to safety and ongoing industry investments.

"This data makes clear that our employees’ strong safety culture paired with the sustained, disciplined investments in maintenance and technologies that target the primary causes of accidents deliver meaningful safety results," said AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies. "There is more work to do, but FRA’s data clearly reflects railroads’ steadfast safety commitment."

Additionally, while human factor-caused incidents are down 15% compared to 2000, the rate of those types of accidents rose 13% compared to 2021, which also drove the yard accident rate up year over year.

Over 95% of rail-related fatalities are trespassers or grade crossing users. The combined total of trespasser and suicide fatalities for 2022 increased 4% from 2021.

Grade crossing collisions were down 23% last year compared to 2000, but along with trespass incidents, these preventable accidents remain persistent challenges across the rail industry, AAR officials said.