Train Accidents Decline for Second Year in a Row Preliminary 2006 Safety Data Show
Wednesday, March 07, 2007 (Washington, DC) The number of train accidents declined for the second year in a row and there were fewer highway-rail grade crossing collisions according to preliminary 2006 rail safety data announced today by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters.
“The aggressive actions we are taking to improve rail safety are paying dividends,” Secretary Peters said. “As a result, many communities where trains operate are safer,” she added, noting that 36 states experienced fewer train accidents in 2006 as compared to 2005.
The preliminary statistics released today by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reveal that in 2006 railroads had 402 fewer train accidents nationwide, or a 12.4 percent reduction from 2005, Peters said. Specifically, the number of derailments declined 8.3 percent and collisions between trains decreased by 27.1 percent. Texas led the nation with 51 fewer train accidents last year followed by Ohio (34), Nebraska (32), Indiana (29), New Jersey (24), and California (23).
The data for 2006 also reveal that train accidents caused by human error-the leading cause of all train accidents–declined 20.2 percent, Peters said. Train accidents caused by track issues decreased 5.8 percent, and those caused by equipment failure and signal problems fell by 8.2 percent and 27.0 percent, respectively, she added.
In addition, last year the number of highway-rail grade crossing collisions fell by 5.0 percent. However, grade crossing fatalities increased by 1.4 percent to 362. And, trespass fatalities, the number one cause of all rail-related deaths, increased by 14.5 percent to 530.
FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman emphasized that some of the safety gains are attributable to aggressive implementation of the Department’s National Rail Safety Action Plan which focuses on the most frequent, highest-risk caus