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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Table 2-40: Fatalities and Injuries of On-Duty Railroad Employees

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Table 2-40: Fatalities and Injuries of On-Duty Railroad Employees

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  1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Employee fatalities, total 40 35 34 47 31 34 33 37 27 31 24 22 20 19 25 25
Grade-crossing accidents and incidents 5 1 2 3 1 2 1 0 4 2 2 1 1 1 2 2
Train accidents and incidents only (grade-crossing excluded) 35 34 32 44 30 32 32 37 23 29 22 21 19 18 23 23
Employee injuries, total 20,970 19,626 17,755 15,363 13,080 10,777 9,199 8,295 8,398 8,622 8,423 7,815 6,644 (R) 6,221 (R) 5,942 5,405
Grade-crossing accidents and incidents 169 147 157 143 126 123 79 111 122 140 100 97 110 (R) 76 (R) 115 108
Train accidents and incidents only (grade-crossing excluded) 20,801 19,479 17,598 15,220 12,954 10,654 9,120 8,184 8,276 8,482 8,323 7,718 6,534 (R) 6,145 (R) 5,827 5,297
Employee hours (millions) 553.6 530.7 517.0 519.7 518.6 510.3 504.6 503.9 514.9 510.0 490.9 475.1 454.1 (R) 451.1 (R) 458.4 477.8
Fatality rates per million employee hours                                
All accidents / incidents 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.09 0.06 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.05 0.06 0.05 0.05 0.04 (R) 0.04 (R) 0.05 0.05
Grade-crossing accidents and incidents 0.01 <0.01 <0.01 0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 (R) <0.01 (R) <0.01 <0.01
Train accidents and incidents only (grade-crossing excluded) 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.08 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.07 0.04 0.06 0.04 0.04 0.04 (R) 0.04 (R) 0.05 0.05
Injury rates per million employee hours                                
All accidents / incidents 37.9 37.0 34.3 29.6 25.2 21.1 18.2 16.5 16.3 16.9 17.2 16.4 14.6 (R) 13.8 (R) 13.0 11.3
Grade-crossing accidents and incidents 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 (R) 0.2 (R) 0.3 0.2
Train accidents and incidents only (grade-crossing excluded) 37.6 36.7 34.0 29.3 25.0 20.9 18.1 16.2 16.1 16.6 17.0 16.2 14.4 (R) 13.6 (R) 12.7 11.1
Train-miles (millions)a,b 609 577 594 614 655 670 671 677 683 712 723 712 729 (R) 744 (R) 770 789
Fatality rates per million train-miles                                
All accidents / incidents 0.07 0.06 0.06 0.08 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.03 (R) 0.03 (R) 0.03 0.03
Grade-crossing accidents and incidents 0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 (R) <0.01 (R) <0.01 <0.01
Train accidents and incidents only (grade-crossing excluded) 0.06 0.06 0.05 0.07 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.03 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.03 (R) 0.02 (R) 0.03 0.03
Injury rates per million train-miles                                
All accidents/incidents 34.4 34.0 29.9 25.0 20.0 16.1 13.7 12.3 12.3 12.1 11.7 11.0 9.1 (R) 8.4 (R) 7.7 6.8
Grade-crossing accidents and incidents 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 (R) 0.1 (R) 0.1 0.1
Train accidents and incidents only (grade-crossing excluded) 34.2 33.8 29.6 24.8 19.8 15.9 13.6 12.1 12.1 11.9 11.5 10.8 9.0 (R) 8.3 (R) 7.6 6.7

KEY: R = revised.

a Train-miles in this table differ from train-miles in the vehicle-miles table in Chapter 1. Train-miles reported in Chapter 1 include only Class I rail (see glossary for definition), while this table includes Class I rail, Group II rail, and other rail. In 2004, Group II rail accounted for 83 million train-miles, and other rail for 27 million train-miles. Moreover, the vehicle-miles table in Chapter 1 includes only train-miles between terminals and/or stations, thus excluding yard and switching miles. In 2004, Class I yard/switching train miles totaled 63 million train-miles. Note that commuter rail safety data are reported in the rail mode and in the transit mode. Commuter rail train-miles are included in Class I rail and Group II rail in this table.

b A train-mile is the movement of a train (which can consist of many cars) the distance of 1 mile. A train-mile differs from a vehicle-mile, which is the movement of 1 car (vehicle) the distance of 1 mile. A 10-car (vehicle) train traveling 1 mile would be measured as 1 train-mile and 10 vehicle-miles. Caution should be used when comparing train-miles to vehicle-miles.

NOTE

This table includes information for both freight and passenger railroad operations.

SOURCES

1990-95: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Highway-Rail Crossing Accident/Incident and Inventory Bulletin (Washington, DC: annual issues).

1996-99: Ibid., Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report (Washington, DC: annual issues), tables 1-3, 2-4, and 3-1.

2000-05: Ibid., Internet site http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/Query/Default.asp as of Mar. 28, 2006.