(excludes highway-rail grade-crossing accidents)

Embedded Dataset Excel:

Dataset Excel:

Notes:

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

Description:

KEY:  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 2009, Class I yard/switching Train-miles totaled 63 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.

Source:

Fatalities, injuries, accidents, and train-miles: 

1970: 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.

1975-2023: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Ten Year Accident/Incident Overview, tables 1.12, available at http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/ as of Mar. 12, 2024.

Property damage: 

1970: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database (Washington, DC: Annual Issues), form 406.

1975-2023: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Summary of Train Accidents With Reportable Damage, Casualties, and Major Causes, table 3.16, available at http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/ as of Mar. 12, 2024.