Table 2-39: Railroad System Safety and Property Damage Data
Table 2-39: Railroad System Safety and Property Damage Data
(Excludes highway-rail grade-crossing accidents)
| 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatalities | 785 | 575 | 584 | 454 | 599 | 567 | 551 | 602 | 577 | 530 | 512 | 550 | 594 | 534 | (R) 523 | (R) 530 | (R) 541 | 517 |
| Injured persons a | 17,934 | 50,138 | 58,696 | 31,617 | 22,736 | 12,546 | 10,948 | 10,227 | 10,156 | 10,304 | 10,424 | 9,828 | 10,104 | (R) 8,217 | (R) 8,084 | (R) 8,423 | (R) 7,389 | 7,575 |
| Accidents b | 8,095 | 8,041 | 8,205 | 3,275 | 2,879 | 2,459 | 2,443 | 2,397 | 2,575 | 2,768 | 2,983 | 3,023 | 2,738 | (R) 3,017 | (R) 3,380 | (R) 3,260 | (R) 2,957 | 2,593 |
| Train-miles (millions) c,d | 839 | 755 | 718 | 571 | 609 | 670 | 671 | 677 | 683 | 712 | 723 | 712 | 729 | 744 | 770 | 790 | (R) 809 | 792 |
| Rate per 100 million train-miles | ||||||||||||||||||
| Fatalities | 94 | 76 | 81 | 80 | 98 | 85 | 82 | 89 | 84 | 74 | 71 | 77 | 82 | 72 | (R) 68 | (R) 67 | (R) 67 | 65 |
| Injuries | N | 6,641 | 8,179 | 5,538 | 3,735 | 1,873 | 1,632 | 1,511 | 1,487 | 1,446 | 1,442 | 1,381 | 1,387 | (R) 1,105 | (R) 1,050 | (R) 1,066 | (R) 913 | 957 |
| Accidents | 965 | 1,065 | 1,143 | 574 | 473 | 367 | 364 | 354 | 377 | 389 | 413 | 425 | 376 | (R) 406 | (R) 439 | (R) 412 | (R) 365 | 328 |
| Property damage (current $ millions) | 121.6 | 177.4 | 267.4 | 179.3 | 198.7 | 189.2 | 212.3 | 210.7 | 233.9 | 245.1 | 263.2 | 314.5 | 266.5 | 298.0 | 325.1 | 337.4 | 305.3 | 305.3 |
KEY: N = data do not exist; R = revised.
a 1970 injuries are not comparable to later years due to a change in reporting system.
b Train accidents only; excludes highway-rail grade-crossing accidents.
c 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 2005, Group II rail accounted for 78 million train-miles, and other rail for 29 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 2005, Class I yard/switching train-miles totaled 67 million train-miles. Note that commuter rail safety data are reported in the rail mode and the transit mode. Commuter rail train-miles are included in Class I rail and Group II rail in this table.
d 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
Fatalities, injuries, accidents, and property damage:
1970-90: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Policy and Program Development, Accident/Incident Bulletin (Washington, DC: annual issues), tables 14 and 15.
1995-2000: Ibid., Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report 2000 (Washington, DC: July 2001), tables 1-1 and 3-1.
2001-07: Ibid., Internet site http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/Query/Default.asp as of May 15, 2008.
Train-miles:
1970-90: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database (Washington, DC: annual issues), form 406.
1995-99: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Internet site http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/Forms/Default.asp as of Aug. 22, 2002.
2000-07: Ibid., Internet site http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/Query/Default.asp as of May. 15, 2008.