How often do trains derail? According to the Federal Railroad Administration, there are over a thousand train derailments in the US annually.
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Rail accidents like this are actually relatively common in the US, although the consequences are seldom so dramatic. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics records 54,539 train derailments between 1990 to 2021, an average of 1,704 per year.
How many trains derail a year in Europe? In 2021, there were 1 389 significant railway accidents in the EU, with a total of 683 persons killed and 513 seriously injured. Since 2010, the number of significant railway accidents has gradually decreased, with 840 fewer accidents in 2021 than in 2010 (-38%).
The recent Ohio train derailment, in which carriages from a 150-car freight liner carrying toxic chemicals crashed off the tracks in the town of East Palestine, is just one of more than a dozen rail accidents reported to have already taken place in the US since the start of 2023.
Despite fewer miles being traveled, the rate of derailments has increased in five of the last seven years. The derailment rate among the seven Class I railroads is also higher than it was a decade ago.
Federal data from 2021 and 2022 says an average of about three trains derail in the U.S. a day. While not all derailments are equally as dramatic or dangerous, railroads are required to report any derailment that causes more than $10,700 in damage.
Compared to other popular forms of travel, such as cars, ships, buses, and planes, trains are one of the safest forms of transportation in the United States.
HOW SAFE ARE TRAINS? Trains are statistically much safer than driving. In 2020, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics recorded 40,867 total deaths from travel, including in planes, in cars on highways and on trains.
Track Defects are the Most Common CauseTrack defects emerged as the leading cause of train derailments. The significance of continuous infrastructure maintenance and inspections cannot be overstated.
A derailment is when a train runs off its rail, either because of a collision with another object, a conductor error, mechanical track failure, broken rails, or defective wheels. A derailment doesn't necessarily mean the train leaves the tracks – some may be minor.
According to a 2022 report on Railway Safety and Interoperability in the EU, railways in Europe remain “among the safest in the world” with major accidents involving five or more fatalities becoming “increasingly rare”.
1. Switzerland. Tucked inside the small but incredibly beautiful country of Switzerland is one of the most efficient and scenic rail networks in the world.
“Britain continues to have one of the safest railways in Europe, and thankfully, incidents such as those that occurred at Carmont in August 2020 are very rare. “Safety targets are imposed to ensure a minimum level of safety is achieved and it is important our railway continues to strive for better.”
Serious derailments (loss of life or serious injury) happen about once per year. Minor derailments occur about three times per day. Federal U.S. data shows there were 1,087 train derailments in 2021 — which averages to just under three each day. Most are ordinary and don't cause any major problems.
Background. At about 8:55 PM ET on February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, about a quarter-mile west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line.