Arkansas Has 7 Fewer Train Accidents in 1st Half of 2007

First posted on 10-17-2007

Arkansas experienced seven fewer train derailments and collisions during the first half of 2007 — a 19 percent reduction — compared to the same period last year. Nationwide, U.S. railroads recorded the lowest accident rate — 3.07 per million train miles — in a decade, according to preliminary data released by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Arkansas was one of 34 states that saw a reduction in incidents. Eleven states reported a decrease of 12 or more train accidents, including Texas (-49), California (-31), Pennsylvania (-20), New York (-18), Oregon (-16), Montana (-15), Maryland (-14), Ohio (-14), Kansas (-13), Alabama (-13), and Wyoming (-12).

The railroads’ train accident rate, which tracks the number of accidents per million train miles, was 13 percent lower than the current full year record of 3.54 accidents per million train miles established in 1997. This reduced rate reflects 246 fewer train accidents, or a 16.8 percent drop, when compared to the first half of 2006. Specifically, derailments went down by 14.3 percent and train-to-train collisions fell 12.1 percent.

“Safety is of paramount importance to the railroads and our more than 200,000 employees,” said Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads (AAR). “These record-setting numbers clearly indicate that our extensive employee training programs, our investment in safety technology and our dedication to infrastructure maintenance and improvement are paying dividends for all Americans.”

Railroads also reported a strong improvement in highway-rail grade crossing safety, with 122 fewer collisions between motor vehicles and trains, a decrease of 8.5 percent. AAR conducted a nationwide consumer education campaign on grade crossing in 2007, with extensive radio coverage of the issue and safety tips highlighted in community papers across the country.

Further, the data revealed that the two leading causes of train accidents — human error and track issues — declined 13.9 percent and 15.7 percent, respectively. Incidents caused by equipment failure fell by 10.3 percent and by signal problems declined by 37.0 percent.

The AAR is the world’s leading railroad policy, research and technology organization focusing on increasing the safety and productivity of rail carriers. Its members include the leading freight railroads in the United States, Canada and Mexico.