Washington, D.C. – New data from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) shows 2025 was a historic year for freight rail safety. Accident and injury rates declined across nearly every major category, continuing a long-term trend driven by sustained private investment, advanced technology, and a highly trained workforce.
For communities, businesses, and consumers, those improvements translate into a safer and more reliable freight rail network moving goods efficiently across the country.
A Record Year for Safety
According to FRA’s latest data, the overall train accident rate in 2025 dropped 14 percent compared with the previous year. Several key categories reached the lowest levels ever recorded, including derailments, equipment-related accidents, and track-related accidents.
Accidents attributed to human factors—one of the most complex areas to improve upon—fell by nearly 20 percent. Railroads attribute this progress to increased use of advanced monitoring systems, automation, and data-driven operating practices that support railroad employees on the front lines.
Workforce safety also improved. Class I railroads recorded their lowest employee injury rate in history, continuing a decades-long trend of improvement supported by comprehensive training and a strong safety culture.
Ian Jefferies, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, noted that these results reflect sustained effort across the industry.
“Rail safety progress is not accidental,” Jefferies said. “It is the result of disciplined investment, a highly skilled workforce, and data-driven decision-making.”
A Long-Term Trend of Improvement
The 2025 data reinforce a broader pattern of safety gains across the freight rail network. Since 2005:
- Overall train accident rates have fallen about 40 percent
- Derailments are down roughly 46 percent
- Mainline accidents have declined 37 percent industry-wide and 44 percent for Class I railroads
- Track-caused accidents have dropped 53 percent
- Human factor-related accidents have decreased 41 percent
- Class I employee casualty rates have declined 54 percent
- On-duty fatalities have fallen about 67 percent
Where Challenges Remain
While most safety metrics continue to improve, grade crossing incidents remain relatively unchanged year over year. Addressing these risks requires coordination beyond the rail industry.
Grade crossing safety is a shared responsibility among railroads, drivers, local communities, and public agencies. Federal initiatives such as the Rail Crossing Elimination (RCE) program and the Section 130 program support infrastructure upgrades, crossing closures, and roadway improvements that help reduce these incidents.
Investment Drives Safety Progress
One of the key factors behind railroads’ safety gains is sustained private investment. Unlike many other transportation sectors, freight railroads fund the vast majority of their own infrastructure.
On average, railroads invest about $23 billion annually into their networks—maintaining track, upgrading infrastructure, deploying advanced inspection technologies, and training their workforce. As a share of revenue, that investment level is roughly six times higher than the average U.S. manufacturer.
Those investments support both safety and supply chain performance, helping ensure goods move efficiently from ports to farms, factories, and communities nationwide.
Looking Ahead
These positive trends in rail safety help demonstrate how the combination of private investment, modern technology, and a skilled workforce continues to deliver measurable results.
At the same time, continued progress will require modernizing outdated regulations, expanding proven safety technologies, and strengthening collaboration on shared challenges like grade crossing safety.
As railroads continue investing in their networks and people, these improvements help support a freight system that is safer, more reliable, and better equipped to keep America’s economy moving.
