Table 2-38: Railroad Passenger Safety Data
Table 2-38: Railroad Passenger Safety Data
| 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | (P) 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger fatalitiesa | 3 | 8 | 3 | 58 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 24 |
| Injured persons | 473 | 382 | 411 | 559 | 497 | 573 | 513 | 601 | 535 | 481 | 658 | 746 | 877 | (R) 727 | (R) 703 | (R) 949 | (R) 917 | (R) 1,500 | 1,239 |
| Train-miles, passenger trains (millions) | 72 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 78 | 82 | 84 | 88 | 90 | 89 | 89 | 90 | 92 | 95 | 98 |
| Fatalities per 100 million passenger train-miles | 4 | 11 | 4 | 77 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 2 | 5 | 25 |
| Injuries per 100 million passenger train-miles | 657 | 516 | 555 | 745 | 663 | 754 | 666 | 770 | 683 | 584 | 781 | 850 | 979 | (R) 813 | (R) 787 | (R) 1,056 | (R) 997 | (R) 1,573 | 1,266 |
KEY: P = preliminary; R = revised.
a In 1993 a barge struck a rail bridge in Alabama causing an Amtrak train to derail into the waterway below leading to 42 passenger deaths.
NOTES
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.
Passenger fatalities and injured persons include passengers on trains only.
SOURCES
Fatalities and injuries:
1990 - 96: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety, Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report (Washington, DC: Annual Issues), table 1-2, available at FRA Safety Data Portal as of August 13, 2009.
1997 - 2008: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety, Railroad Safety Statistics 2008 Preliminary Annual Report (Washington, DC: July 2009 Issue), table 1-2, available at FRA Safety Data Portal as of October 28, 2009.
Train-miles, passenger trains:
1990-96: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics calculations (sum of all commuter rail train-miles reported to USDOT, Federal Transit Administration, plus Amtrak train-miles).
1997-2007: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety, Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report (Washington, DC: Annual Issues), table 2-4, available at FRA Safety Data Portal as of August 13, 2009.
2008: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety, Railroad Safety Statistics 2008 preliminary Annual Report (Washington, DC: July 2009 Issue), table 2-4, available at FRA Safety Data Portal as of October 28, 2009.