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Rail is the safest way to move the nation’s freight over land, and the industry’s safety record continues to improve. In 2006, the nation's railroads hauled 32.1 million carloads of raw materials and finished goods - a record-breaking 1.8 billion tons - while continuing the trend of fewer accidents. According to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), “By nearly every indicator, long-term safety trends on the nation's railroads appear very positive. Overall, the safety performance record of the nation's railroads has been one of continuous improvement.”
Since 1980, American railroads have reduced train accident rates by 69 percent and their rate of employee injuries by 81 percent. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, rail-related accidents and incidents declined by 12.4 percent in 2006 compared to 2005, while the rail employee casualty rate fell to its lowest level in history. Railroads have lower employee injury rates than other modes of transportation and most other major industry groups, including agriculture, construction and manufacturing.
A major contributor to this solid record has been the industry's investments in new technology, such as trackside detectors that identify defects on passing rail cars using lasers, optics, and acoustic identifiers; special rail cars that use sophisticated electronic and optical instruments to evaluate track alignment and internal rail conditions; and ground-penetrating radar that helps identify problems below the ground (such as excessive water penetration and deteriorated ballast).
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