AAR: Long freight-train study falls short

Railroads have safely managed long freight trains for the past 80 years, while still improving the industry's safety record, the Association of American Railroads said yesterday in response to a new government study on the safety of operating freight trains longer than 7,500 feet.

The U.S. Department of Transportation-funded study, which recommended that Congress and federal regulators address the challenges and operational demands of managing long freight trains, was released yesterday by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. The Committee on the Impact of Trains Longer than 7,500 Feet conducted the study. 

At the same time that railroads have safely managed long freight trains for decades, the industry's safety record has "dramatically" improved, with the latest data showing the Class I mainline accident rate down 42% since 2000, AAR officials said in a press release.

“Safety is at the center of every decision on the railroad, and train length is no different,” said AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies. “As operations continue to evolve, railroads are pulling on three key levers – technology, training and infrastructure – to further enhance safety and reliability. Railroads’ goal will always be delivering for our employees, communities and the economy – and to do it safely every day.”

The study has several "shortcomings," according to the AAR.

"First, it arbitrarily focuses on trains exceeding 7,500 feet, despite acknowledging a lack of consensus on the appropriate definition of a 'long” train,'" the press release states. "The study followed a congressionally defined threshold without uniform agreement on its appropriateness."

Additionally, the report of the study noted that the committee was unable to reach conclusions about the potential impacts on communities of emission reductions or from occupied crossings by longer trains, the association said.

Factors that railroads consider when determining train makeup include commodity mix, track conditions and terrain. Many railroads rely on advanced train-builder algorithms that analyze various operational factors, guiding car placement and ensuring trains are operating as safely as possible, AAR officials said.

Improvements to train building best practices have delivered even stronger safety results in recent years and will continue to be an area of intense focus for the industry, they added. Railroads also deploy locomotives at key points throughout the train using a method known as distributed power. This common practice helps manage in-train forces to reduce operational risk.

In distributed power train consists, locomotives are connected by closed communications systems that maintain constant connection to the lead locomotive and its highly qualified engineer, according to the AAR.

Moreover, engineers undergo comprehensive training to ensure they are both adept with in-cab technologies like distributed power and familiar with the specifics of their unique territory, AAR officials said.