(The Association of American Railroads issued the following news release on March 14.)
WASHINGTON — Last year was the safest year in history for U.S. railroad employees as measured both by employee injuries and employee injury rates. It was also the safest year on record for the highway grade crossing accident rate, according to data released by the Federal Railroad Administration.
The employee injury rate fell by 12.7 percent, while the number of employee injuries declined by 9.0 percent, breaking records set in 2004. The grade crossing incident rate dropped 4.2 percent from 2004 when the previous record were set. The number of grade crossing accidents (down 1.9) percent and the number of fatalities (down 3.5 percent) were both the second lowest on record. Progress was also made in reducing train accidents, with the total number down almost 8 percent from 2004 and the rate down more than 10 percent.
“Truly 2005 was a year of remarkable progress in rail safety,” said Association of American Railroads President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger.
“Rail traffic was higher than ever before in history, and thousands of new employees were brought on board to help handle that record volume. The fact that railroads were able to reduce both train accidents and employee casualties just underscores the industry’s commitment to safety,” he added.
Hamberger credited employee training and the industry’s extensive maintenance and improvement program with bringing about the reductions in both the employee casualty and train accident rates.
“Railroads conduct extensive training program for all new hires, but especially for those who will become train operating crew members. Those training programs last for many months and emphasize the industry’s safety first commitment,” he said. “When they finish those programs, our new employees are highly trained and incredibly safety conscious.”
The industry spent more than $17 billion last year to maintain and improve track, equipment and communications and signaling systems, Hamberger said. “As a result, the industry today is probably in the best physical shape in its history,” he added.
Improvements in the train accident rate included reductions in yard accidents, derailments, and accidents caused by either equipment failure or human error.
Hamberger said the future for rail safety also looks “very good, at least partly because of advances in technology. Remote control technology is already making our freight yards safer. And advanced train control technologies offer the promise of significantly reducing accidents caused by human error, the number one cause of train accidents.”
Hamberger attributed the improvements in grade crossing safety to a number of factors.
“Railroads cooperate actively with Operation Lifesaver to educate drivers and pedestrians about grade crossing safety. OLI annually gives thousands of safety presentations at schools, civic groups and countless other venues. Those efforts have helped produce this record,” he said.
He also praised SAFETEA-LU, which was passed last year, for increasing the federal government’s commitment to grade crossing safety. That legislation increased funding for crossing improvements from about $160 million annually to more than $200 million.
“This additional funding will lead to even further reductions in crossing incidents,” Hamberger predicted.
Freight rail is by far the safest way to move goods and products across the country. Since 1980, the rail industry has reduced accident rates by 62 percent and employee injury rates by 77 percent.
AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on the safety and productivity of rail carriers. Its members include the leading freight railroads in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as Amtrak and other passenger lines.