Probe Finds FRA Ignored Most Rail Safety Board Recommendations
An investigation by the University of Maryland’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism finds that human errors and track defects caused more than 3,000 U.S. rail accidents over the past decade, killing 23 people and injuring nearly 1,200, while the Federal Railroad Administration fully implemented only 5 of 81 National Transportation Safety Board safety recommendations issued from 2015–2024. The analysis, based on NTSB data, shows FRA has 102 open NTSB recommendations, some dating to 1998, and that railroads and their trade groups have repeatedly opposed new rules, helping stall reforms on track inspections, replacement standards and crew‑fatigue controls. The report highlights the 2021 Amtrak Empire Builder derailment near Joplin, Montana, where three passengers died and 49 were injured after NTSB found worn rail and other BNSF track defects that an overburdened inspector likely missed, and faulted FRA for failing to set limits on track inspector workloads or mandate timely track replacement. Major freight carriers BNSF, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific did not dispute the investigation’s facts but responded that they are committed to safety, even as they lobby the Trump administration to relax some inspection and fatigue rules. The findings point to a longstanding pattern of industry resistance, regulatory inaction and congressional retreat that has left known safety hazards unaddressed across the U.S. rail network.
📌 Key Facts
- Human error and track defects caused more than 3,000 U.S. rail accidents in the last decade, resulting in 23 deaths and nearly 1,200 injuries.
- From 2015 through 2024, the NTSB issued 81 rail‑safety recommendations to the FRA, but the agency has fully implemented only 5, the lowest rate among DOT regulators.
- The FRA currently has 102 open NTSB recommendations—some dating back to 1998—and says it is taking or planning action on about 70% of them but has no plans to act on the rest.
- The 2021 Amtrak Empire Builder derailment in Joplin, Montana, killed three passengers and injured 49; NTSB blamed worn rail and other BNSF track defects and cited FRA’s failure to set rules on track replacement and inspector workloads.
- BNSF, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific did not dispute the investigation’s factual findings, but are actively lobbying the Trump administration to reduce track‑inspection and repair requirements and ease crew‑fatigue rules.
📊 Relevant Data
In the United States, the racial composition of non-motor vehicle associated railway injuries and fatalities from 2007 to 2016 was 67.5% White, 19.1% Black, 11.5% Hispanic/Latino, and 1.9% others, compared to the general U.S. population which was approximately 63% White, 12% Black, 16% Hispanic/Latino, and 9% others during that period.
The Demographics of Non-motor Vehicle Associated Railway Injuries and Fatalities — NIH
The rail industry spent $653.5 million on federal lobbying over the past two decades, with major railroads actively opposing safety regulations.
Rail Industry Has Spent $654 Million on Federal Lobbying Over Past Two Decades — Common Dreams
Rail transportation workers in the US are 76% White, 8% Other, 7% Black or African American, compared to the US population which is about 59% White, 13% Black, and 19% Hispanic.
Rail transportation worker demographics in the United States — CareerExplorer
The US has a higher rate of railway fatalities including trespassers compared to Europe; for example, in 2022, the US reported 954 railway fatalities, while the EU had lower per capita rates when adjusted for trespass incidents.
Why are train derailments so much more common in the US than in Europe? — Reddit (pointer, actual data from FRA and EU sources)
Railroad injuries and illnesses cause an average of $3 billion in fatality costs and $650 million in nonfatal incident costs annually in the US.
Railroad injury: Causes, costs, and comparisons with other transport modes — ScienceDirect
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