The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has announced its plans to conduct safety investigations on all major freight railroads within the next year. This decision follows a comprehensive review of Norfolk Southern’s safety culture, which was prompted by a fiery derailment incident in Ohio that occurred in February.
A detailed report regarding the investigation findings on Norfolk Southern after the February 3 derailment will be released in the near future. The incident near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border has generated significant attention and raised concerns about railroad safety nationwide, leading to proposed reforms from Congress.
Individual reports will be conducted on Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, Canadian National, and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, as stated in a letter sent by FRA Administrator Amit Bose to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Additionally, the agency plans to publish an industrywide report highlighting common issues and trends.
Railroad unions have expressed concerns regarding operational changes made by railroads over the past six years, claiming that these changes have resulted in increased risks associated with the transportation of hazardous materials and various goods across the country.
The railroads assert that their policies have not compromised safety in their pursuit of greater efficiency. They emphasize that rail transportation remains the safest method for transporting hazardous materials across land. Despite these claims, Norfolk Southern and other railroads have acknowledged the need for further safety improvements, as urged by regulators and lawmakers.
Federal regulators have stated that the available safety data does not sufficiently indicate that the railroads’ new operating model poses any significant risks. However, statistics reveal a slight increase in the rate of accidents per million miles traveled by freight trains, rising from 15.572 to 16.695 over the past decade, despite a decrease in the total number of incidents due to reduced freight volume.
Railroads favor longer trains as they allow for the transportation of the same amount of freight with fewer crews and locomotives. While this efficiency measure has been implemented, efforts are underway to ensure that safety standards are upheld.
The information in this report includes contributions from the Associated Press.
