Railroads and Federal Regulation

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.