Train Derailments

[cnelk]

Seems like train derailments are getting more common each week.

Whats up ya think?

 

[Carr5vols]

Kids placing pennies on tracks...honestly my guess is the same as the rest of us struggling to find qualified workers and throwing people into positions before they are ready...

 

[sodaksooner]

Just more publicized with the events in East Palestine. We had a major one here right by my house several years ago when an old, small bridge over a creek collapsed. Literally right on the Arkansas River. Took months to totally clean up. Just had to cut up the cars. Barely made local news. We derailed one at work on our siding last year. Slow speed, no damage. I think it happens more than you hear.

 

[Loo.wii]

Us DOT reported thousands of train derailments in 2019. The current pace of train derailmants falls in line with the norms. The increased media reporting is just because it is the hot topic that our societal ADHD wants to hear about.

That being said the U.S. should be #1 when it comes to our transportation systems and the fact that we have thousands of derailments per year is alarming and something we should be ashamed about. 2 administrations in a row have let us down regarding the update and maintenance of infrastructure.

 

[Loo.wii]

Train Fatalities, Injuries, and Accidents by Type of Accident | Bureau of Transportation Statistics

KEY: R = revised. a Excludes highway-rail grade crossing accidents. b In 2002, 1,441 injures were due to a single derailment in North Dakota involving hazardous materials.

www.bts.gov

 

[jcaud]

I no longer work for the railroad, but did when I first got out of college. As some others have stated, nothing out of the norm, just getting more news time since the East Palestine derailment. The stats say that there are thousands of derailments every year, and there probably are, but I would say the vast majority of those are in rail yards - think one car is derailed and then rerailed within the hour. But yes, main line derailments happen all the time and are just now getting reported.

 

[realunlucky]

Precision Scheduled Railroading--- placing profits ahead of anything and everything else including safety


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[realunlucky]

Part of PSR is running longer trains with more cars, which does in fact statically increase the risk of a car derailing. This is the exact reason you are seeing more catastrophic derailment

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[JD Jones]

Media see the ratings spike and start covering a common occurrence and thus we think it’s a new phenomenon

I do think there’s additional agendas beyond ratings (smoke screen) but I’ll keep my C.Ts. To myself lol

 

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

Atlas shrugged playing out before our eyes.

I'm kidding, sort of. Apparently there are a ton of derailments all across the country every year.

I know I am always surprised by the number of car/truck/train collisions caught on camera. It's a big country with lots of stuff moving around.

 

[Warmsy]

Media see the ratings spike and start covering a common occurrence and thus we think it’s a new phenomenon

I do think there’s additional agendas beyond ratings (smoke screen) but I’ll keep my C.Ts. To myself lol

Please share. I like hearing the truth!

 

[sacklunch]

Part of PSR is running longer trains with more cars, which does in fact statically increase the risk of a car derailing. This is the exact reason you are seeing more catastrophic derailment

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Catastrophic is a subjective term...and the statistics year over year don't show an increase in dealrailments.

 

[Desk Jockey]

So that one in Montana was apparently a train load of beer. Locals have been enthusiastically volunteering to help with clean up.

 

[Catchfish]

Yeah I believe it’s probably the norm, just being publicized more often. I bet most people would be surprised at how many bank robberies happen as well, I know I was.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Us DOT reported thousands of train derailments in 2019. The current pace of train derailmants falls in line with the norms. The increased media reporting is just because it is the hot topic that our societal ADHD wants to hear about.

That being said the U.S. should be #1 when it comes to our transportation systems and the fact that we have thousands of derailments per year is alarming and something we should be ashamed about. 2 administrations in a row have let us down regarding the update and maintenance of infrastructure.

The railroads may indeed be a government entity to some degree. However, they operate as a private entity on every scale.



I somehow believe if they weren’t given preferential treatment from the government, they’d operate on a more professional level. Track maintenance being their responsibility solely. I can’t help but wander how’d other entity’s affecting private life so severely, would fair if they operated like railroads.

 

[coloyooper]

Just like anything, the media latches onto something that gets clicks. Average of 3ish derailments a day in the US, but after East Palestine, it’s become big news.

 

[realunlucky]

The railroads may indeed be a government entity to some degree. However, they operate as a private entity on every scale.



I somehow believe if they weren’t given preferential treatment from the government, they’d operate on a more professional level. Track maintenance being their responsibility solely. I can’t help but wander how’d other entity’s affecting private life so severely, would fair if they operated like railroads.

I think your seeing the battle over regulation starting to play out. More attention to potential problems like Ohio.

Railroads can currently only be fined for non-compliance to federal regulations. For the most part they just pay the fine and keep doing business as usual.

That's been a push to give more power to the FRA and surface transportation board STB to better influence the choices class 1 Railroads make across the board.

A 7 billion dollar a year industry pays plenty to lobbying and behind the scenes access to law making influenced decisions.

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[madgrad02]

Just hypothesizing here, but with Brandon and the current administration all but shutting down oil drilling and pipelines, the only way to move said oil is via railway. If they can show that trains are just NOT SAFE, would that be grounds for banning oil transport via rail and lead to an excuse and even bigger push for electric vehicles and such?

 

[realunlucky]

Just like anything, the media latches onto something that gets clicks. Average of 3ish derailments a day in the US, but after East Palestine, it’s become big news.

Even if the number was comparable (which it isn't) the total number of cars going on the ground has more than doubled which should be the only matrix that matters.

Shipping hazardous materials by rail is still far and above the best and safest way to move them. The focus should be on continuing to improve on that.

 

[displacedtexan]

Just hypothesizing here, but with Brandon and the current administration all but shutting down oil drilling and pipelines, the only way to move said oil is via railway. If they can show that trains are just NOT SAFE, would that be grounds for banning oil transport via rail and lead to an excuse and even bigger push for electric vehicles and such?

Hypothetically... If in a parallel world they did shut down drilling and pipelines, maybe.

But the reality is they haven't done either, and US trains are derailing at about the same frequency as years past.

The US does have a lot more train derailments than Europe though. So clearly something isn't right.