From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette:
"While last weekend’s train derailment rocked New Brighton and Beaver Falls, forced more than 150 residents to flee and sparked fires and fears about safety, the simple truth is this: Such rail accidents aren’t all that uncommon in Pennsylvania.
"Though rail accidents nationwide are down about 16 percent the first six months of the year, Pennsylvania’s accident rate remained stagnant, with 54 accidents in each of the first six months of 2005 and 2006, said Steven Kulm, spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration, the government’s railroad regulatory agency.
“We’re moving more freight than ever before, we have record capacity. You would think that you would see more accidents, but no,” said Kelly Donley, assistant vice president of communications for the Association of American Railroads."
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06297/732472-85.stm
Dave