FRA data shows 2025 was rail industry's safest year on record, way better than trucking; UP & BNSF best year ever
March 30, 2026 - TRA Newswire -
New Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) safety data shows that 2025 was the safest year on record for the rail industry, with improvements across almost every safety metric.
Highlighted by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), it showed that rail remains the safest way to move freight over land. Truck incident rates are 6.84 per 100 million gross ton miles compared to only .45 per 100 million gross ton miles when moved by railroads.
Both Union Pacific and BNSF Railway reported their safety years in history.
Speaking at the TxDOT Freight Advisory Committee meeting in Austin last week, Union Pacific Railroad Assistant Vice-President Clint Schelbitski said "we can't run a successful freight system if it's not a safe system. We can't run a successful railroad if it's not a safe railroad. 2025 was the safest rail industry in the history of the country. Personal injury rates are the lowest on record and Union Pacific is down 24% year over year. Our derailment rate as an industry is down over 40% since 2005."
Key safety accomplishments in 2025 included
- Reduced Accidents: The overall train accident rate decreased by 14% year-over-year, and derailments fell 13.6%
- Improved Safety Metrics: Human factor-related incidents dropped 19.7% and equipment-caused accidents fell 12.1%
- Highest Safety Record: Class I employee casualty rates dropped to a record low, having fallen 54% since 2005
According to Union Pacific, safety results are rooted in a focused mindset organized around four pillars:
- Go Home Safe Culture: A focus on critical rules supported by training drives consistent, safe execution and a culture that empowers employees to speak up when they see unsafe behaviors.
- Technology-Enabled Risk Reduction: Proactively using technology to spot potential risk earlier strengthens prevention and reliability across the network.
- Field-Based Learning and Coaching: On-the-ground engagement reinforces understanding and rules compliance in real-world environments, supporting safer and more consistent operations.
- Continuous Improvement Through Safety Systems: An integrated safety management system connects rules, training, technology and field practices in a single framework to promote consistency, identify emerging risk, reinforce accountability and drive continuous improvement.
According to the UP website, Union Pacific operated 1.5 million trains over the last three years, 99.99% derailment free.