Grade crossing and trespasser fatalities drop

In the first 11 months of 2009, rail crossing fatalities declined 17.8% to 222 compared with the same period to 2008, and trespasser fatalities were down 7.2% to 399, according to a preliminary report released Jan. 30 by the Federal Railroad Administration’s Office of Safety Analysis.

These accounted for 621 of the total of 649 U.S. rail fatalities reported in the period. There were 15 employee fatalities, down 34.8% from the 23 reported in the same period in 2008.

The accident/incident numbers were down across the board in the 2009 period: train accidents, down 27.6% to 1,644; collisions, down 2 9.5% to 124; derailments, down 28.8% to 1,166; and yard accidents, down 29.1% to 888.