UP improved grade crossing safety rate in 1Q

Union Pacific Railroad reported its grade crossing safety rate improved 27 percent to 1.88 in first-quarter 2015 compared with the year-ago period.

The rate, which measures the total number of Federal Railroad Administration reportable grade crossing accidents per million train miles, was a first-quarter record for the Class I, UP officials said in a press release.

They attributed the improvement to the company's focus on community safety outreach, operating processes and employee training.

"Our strategy of reinforcing public awareness with targeted safety campaigns and community partnerships is improving safety as we move toward an incident-free environment," said Bob Grimaila, UP vice president-safety, security and environment.