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Canadian railroads made safety strides last year. The roads reported 1,282 accidents, a 6.9 percent decrease compared with 2006's 1,378 accidents and a 7.8 percent decline vs. the average of 1,391 accidents the past five years, according to the Railway Association of Canada (RAC).

Accidents involving dangerous goods dropped from a five-year average of 210 to 182 in 2007. Accidents per million train miles declined 4.5 percent to 13.78 compared with 2006's level and fell 8.9 percent from the five-year average of 15.01.

In addition, fatalities dropped from 95 in 2006 to 86 in 2007, and serious injuries dropped from 70 to 54.

"Canada's railways continue to make safety their No. 1 priority [and] these results are a clear indication of our commitment to ongoing improvements in our safety performance," said Cliff Mackay, president and chief executive officer of RAC — which represents 56 freight and passenger railroads — in a prepared statement.