Industry News

U.S. Rail Fatalities Continue to Decline

July 1, 2009 | 05:00 p.m. CDT

According to statistics released July 1 by the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Office of Safety Analysis, fatalities reported by U.S. railroads continued to decline in this year's first four months, reports Railway Age.

The report gives accident/incidents comparisons for the last four years. Rail fatalities totaled 209 in the January-April 2009 period, down 1.9 percent from the corresponding period last year and down 21.7 percent from the same period in 2006.

Grade crossing fatalities were down 5.6 percent this year to 67 and down 42.7 percent from the 2006 period. Trespassing fatalities increased 2.3 percent to 134 in this year's first four months, up 2.3 percent from last year but down 8.2 percent from 2006.

The FRA report lists seven employee fatalities through April this year, compared with six in the 2009 period and three in January-April 2006.

A total of 3,326 accidents and incidents were reported in this year's first four months by 696 large and small railroads. This was down 20.2 percent from last year and 24.5 percent from 2006.

Train accidents were down 31 percent from last year, to 587, and 38.6 percent from 2006. Collisions were down 29.7 percent from the 2008 period, to 45, and 22.4 percent from 2006.

Derailments in this year's first four months were down 32.4 percent to 417, and down 38.9 percent from 2006. Yard accidents declined 34 percent to 300 from last year and were down 44.1 percent from 2006.