Statistical Summary – Railway Occurrences 2014

Foreward

This document provides Canadians with an annual summary of selected railway safety data. It covers federally regulated railways only. Non-federally regulated data reported to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) are not included in this report. The TSB gathers and uses this data during the course of our investigations to analyse safety deficiencies and identify risks in the Canadian transportation system.

On March 12, 2014, the TSB implemented new regulations that changed the reporting requirements effective July 1, 2014. These changes are reflected in this statistical summary.

Users of these statistics are advised that, in a live database, the occurrence data are constantly being updated. Consequently, the statistics may change slightly over time. Further, as many occurrences are not formally investigated, information recorded on some occurrences may not have been verified. The 2014 statistics presented here reflect the TSB database updated as of February 13 2015.

To enhance awareness and increase the safety value of the material presented in the TSB Statistical Summary — Railway Occurrences 2014, readers are encouraged to copy or reprint in whole, or in part, for further distribution of the data presented (with acknowledgement of the source).

The TSB is an independent agency operating under its own Act of Parliament. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety.

Comments on this document can be forwarded to the following address:

Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Communications Branch
Place du Centre
200 Promenade du Portage
4th Floor
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 1K8

Telephone: 819-994-3741
Facsimile: 819-997-2239
E-mail: communications@bst-tsb.gc.ca

Accidents

Overview of accidents and casualties

In 2014, 1,225 rail accidents^{Footnote 1}  were reported to the TSB (Figure 1), a 13% increase from the 2013 total of 1,087 and a 15% increase from the 2009–2013 average of 1,063.

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Freight trains accounted for 46% of all trains involved in rail accidents in 2014. Four percent (56 in total) were passenger trains with the remaining 50% comprising mainly single cars/cuts of cars, locomotives and track units.

The largest proportion of reported rail accidents comprised non-main-track derailments^{Footnote 2} and collisions (62%). In 2014, excluding crossing and trespasser accidents, non-main-track accidents accounted for more than three quarters of the total (79%) (Figure 2). Typically, most non-main-track accidents are minor, occurring during switching operations at speeds of less than 10 mph.

Main-track derailments and collisions accounted for 9% of all accidents in 2014, compared to 8% in the previous year.

In 2014, 15% of rail accidents involved vehicles or pedestrians at rail crossings, slightly down from 17% over the previous five years.

The proportion of other accident types^{Footnote 3} (15%) in 2014 is slightly down from the previous five-year average (17%).

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In 2014, 174 accidents involved dangerous goods^{Footnote 4}, up from 145 in 2013 and up from the five-year average of 131. Five accidents resulted in a dangerous goods release in 2014, down from 7 in 2013, but up from the five-year average of 4. One of the 5 accidents involved a release of petroleum crude oil.

Rail fatalities totalled 57 in 2014, down from 126 recorded last year (including 47 fatalities at Lac-Mégantic) and down from the five-year average of 86. Crossing fatalities totalled 21 in 2014, down from 30 in 2013 and down from the five-year average of 26 (Figure 3). Trespasser^{Footnote 5} fatalities totalled 33 in 2014, compared to 44 last year and 49 for the five-year average. In 2014, two rail employees were fatally injured, unchanged from the five-year average.

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A total of 49 serious injuries resulted from rail occurrences in 2014 (Figure 4), up from 39 in 2013 but down from the five-year average of 55. Trespasser injuries totalled 21 in 2014, up from 10 last year and up from the five-year average of 17. Crossing accidents^{Footnote 6} resulted in 25 serious injuries, down slightly from 27 in 2013 and down from the five-year average of 26. Three rail employees were seriously injured in 2014 compared to 2 in 2013 and compared to 8 for the five-year average.

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The number of main-track accidents^{Footnote 7} totaled 210 in 2014 (Figure 5), up 14% from 184 reported in 2013 and up 25% from the five-year average of 168. Rail activity on main track decreased by 3%  from the previous year^{Footnote 8}. The main-track accident rate in 2014 was 2.7 accidents per million main-track train-miles, up 17% from 2.3 in 2013, and up 23% from the five-year average of 2.2.

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Accidents by type

Main-track collisions and derailments are the most serious categories of rail accidents in terms of potential risk to the public and financial loss (e.g., when passenger trains are involved or dangerous goods are released from trains that derail in populated areas).

There were 8 main-track collisions (Figure 6) in 2014, up 4 from the 2013 total and five-year average of 4. No fatalities or serious injuries resulted from main-track collisions in 2014. There was no release of dangerous goods as a result of main-track collisions.

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A total of 102 main-track derailments (Table 4a & 4b) were reported in 2014, a 21% increase from the 2013 total of 84 and a 28% increase from the five-year average of 80 (Figure 6). Thirty of the 102 main-track derailments occurred in Alberta (29%), and 18 of these 30 derailments (60%) involved 6 or more cars.

The number of main-track derailments per million main-track train-miles increased to 1.3 in 2014 from 1.1 the previous year and from the five-year average of 1.0.

No fatalities or serious injuries resulted from main-track derailments in 2014.

In 2014, there were 25 main-track derailments involving dangerous goods, up from 11 in 2013 and up from the five-year average of 12. Three of these resulted in a release of product (crude oil, jet fuel, and petroleum distillates).

In 2014, 42% of assigned factors^{Footnote 9} for main-track derailments were Track-related compared to the five-year average of 36%. Equipment-related factors accounted for 24% of all assigned factors compared to 32% for the five-year average. Actions-related factors^{Footnote 10} were reported in 17% of main-track derailments in 2014 compared to the five-year average of 21%.

Non-main-track collisions (Tables 5a & 5b) totalled 112 in 2014, up from 93 in 2013 (Figure 7) and up from the five-year average of 94. Derailments occurred in 38% of non-main-track collisions, and 74% of these non-main-track collision derailments involved the derailment of one or two cars.

No fatalities or serious injuries resulted from non-main-track collisions in 2014.

Dangerous goods were involved in 33% of non-main-track collisions, none of which resulted in a release of product.

Factors assigned to non-main-track collisions were mostly Actions-related (88%) compared to 85% for the last five-year average. Failure to protect, such as improper positioning of movements and handling of switches, was assigned most often as a factor.

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There were 645 non-main-track derailments^{Footnote 11} (Tables 6a & 6b) in 2014, up 20% from last year and up 23% from the five-year average of 525 (Figure 7). In 81% of these accidents, one or two cars derailed. The 26% increase in reported 1-2 car non-main-track derailments relative to the five-year average is consistent with the change in reporting requirements in the new TSB regulations, which provide a clear definition of what must be reported.

No fatalities or serious injuries resulted from non-main-track derailments in 2014.

Dangerous goods cars were involved in 15% of non-main-track derailments with none resulting in a release of dangerous goods.

In 2014, actions-related factors represented 45% of all factors assigned to non-main-track derailments, which is comparable to the five-year average of 44%. Track-related factors assigned to non-main-track derailments represented 32% of all assigned factors, comparable to the five-year average of 35%. Environmental-related factors represented 13% of all assigned factors in 2014, up from 7% for the five-year average.

Crossing accidents (Tables 7 and 8) represent one of the more serious types of rail accidents in 2014, with 22% of these resulting in either serious or fatal injuries.

There were 180 crossing accidents in 2014, comparable to the 184 reported in 2013 and comparable to the five-year average of 183. Accidents at public automated crossings (86) decreased 20% from the 2013 total of 107 and decreased 10% from the five-year average of 96. Accidents at public passive crossings (66) were up slightly from the five-year average of 64. Accidents at private crossings (24) increased 24% from the five-year average of 19.

The proportion of crossing accidents that occurred at public automated crossings decreased from 58% in 2013 to 48% in 2014 (Figure 8). Although there are 50% more public passive crossings than public automated ones, the higher number of accidents occurring at automated crossings is due, in part, to higher vehicle and train traffic volumes at these crossings.

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There were 20 fatal crossing accidents in 2014, down slightly from the 22 reported in 2013 and from the five-year average of 22. Although crossing accidents involving pedestrians accounted for 8% (14) of all crossing accidents in 2014, they accounted for 45% (9) of fatal crossing accidents.

Crossing-related fatalities totalled 21 in 2014 compared to 30 last year and to the five-year average of 26. Pedestrians comprised 43% of crossing-related fatalities.

In 2014, 9 crossing accidents resulted in derailments, up from the 2013 total of 6 and the five-year average of 4.

Ontario was the province where the most crossing accidents occurred, comprising 24% of all crossing accidents, unchanged from the five-year average (Figure 9). Alberta had the second highest total, with 22% of crossings accidents compared to 24% for the 5 five-year average. Those two provinces were followed by Saskatchewan with 18%, Quebec and British Columbia with 12% each, and Manitoba with 9% of crossing accidents in Canada.

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Trespasser accidents (Table 9) involve persons, primarily pedestrians, not authorized to be on railway rights-of-way and who are struck by rolling stock at a location other than a railway crossing. These accidents totalled 55 in 2014, down slightly from the 2013 total of 58 and down from the five year average of 70.

In 2014, Ontario accounted for 40% of trespasser accidents with a total of 22, followed by British Columbia with 24%. Alberta accounted for 18% of all trespasser accidents, and Quebec for 11%.

In 2014, the proportion of trespasser accidents that were fatal (58%) was down compared to the five-year average of 68%. The proportion of trespasser accidents resulting in serious injuries (38%) was higher than the five-year average of 25%.

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Incidents

Overview of incidents

In 2014, there were 217 reported rail incidents, down slightly from 223 in 2013 and comparable to the five year average of 218. Movement exceeding the limit of authority^{Footnote 12} (59% of reportable incidents) continued to be the main incident type since 2006, followed by dangerous goods leakers (29%) and runaway rolling stock (5%).

Note that in addition to the 10 runaway rolling stock incidents in 2014, 20 accidents involving runaway rolling stock occurred, for a total of 30 occurrences involving runaway rolling stock in 2014.

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In 2014, there were 128 incidents where the movement exceeded the limit of authority, a 31% increase from the 98 recorded in 2013 and an 18% increase from the five-year average of 109 (Figure 12).

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A dangerous goods (DG) leaker incident^{Footnote 13} is the unintentional release of a hazardous material while in transit, and does not involve an accident. Twenty-two percent of these incidents involved release of petroleum crude oil. The reported DG leaker incidents totaled 63 in 2014, which is a 33% decrease from the 2013 total of 94 and a 24% decrease from the five-year average of 82. While DG leaker incidents represented 50% of all incidents in 2005, they accounted for 29% of reported rail incidents in 2014 (Figure 12).

The 2014 decrease in DG leaker incidents is due in part to the harmonization of the new rail regulations with Part 8 of the TDG Regulations. A DG release of flammable liquid (Class 3) is a reportable incident if more than 200 litres are released. (The new regulations do not specify a threshold for reportable gas releases (Class 2). In the first six months of 2014 (before the new regulations came into force), the monthly average was 6.7 DG leakers, for an annualized rate of 80 per year, comparable to the five-year average of 82 per year. In the second half of 2014, under the new regulations the monthly average dropped to 3.8 DG leakers. This yields an annualized rate of 46 DG leakers per year.

Appendices

Appendix A - Data tables

Appendix B – Definitions

The following definitions apply to railway occurrences that are required to be reported pursuant to the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act and the associated regulations^{Footnote 14}.

Railway occurrence

Any accident or incident associated with the operation of rolling stock on a railway, and

Any situation or condition that the Board has reasonable grounds to believe could, if left unattended, induce an accident or incident described below.

Reportable railway accident

1. a person is killed or sustains a serious injury as a result of
   • (i) getting on or off or being on board the rolling stock, or
   • (ii) coming into contact with any part of the rolling stock or its contents;
2. the rolling stock or its contents
   • (i) are involved in a collision or derailment,
   • (ii) sustain damage that affects the safe operation of the rolling stock,
   • (iii) cause or sustain a fire or explosion, or
   • (iv) cause damage to the railway that poses a threat to the safe passage of rolling stock or to the safety of any person, property or the environment;

Reportable railway incident

3. a risk of collision occurs between rolling stock;
4. an unprotected main track switch or subdivision track switch is left in an abnormal position;
5. a railway signal displays a less restrictive indication than that required for the intended movement of rolling stock;
6. rolling stock occupies a main track or subdivision track, or track work takes place, in contravention of the Rules or any regulations made under the Railway Safety Act;
7. rolling stock passes a signal indicating stop in contravention of the Rules or any regulations made under the Railway Safety Act;
8. there is an unplanned and uncontrolled movement of rolling stock;
9. a crew member whose duties are directly related to the safe operation of the rolling stock is unable to perform their duties as a result of a physical incapacitation which poses a threat to the safety of persons, property or the environment; or
10. there is an accidental release on board or from a rolling stock consisting of a quantity of dangerous goods or an emission of radiation that is greater than the quantity or emission level specified in Part 8 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations.

Serious injury

1. a fracture of any bone, except simple fractures of fingers, toes or the nose;
2. lacerations that cause severe hemorrhage or nerve, muscle or tendon damage;
3. an injury to an internal organ;
4. second or third degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5% of the body surface;
5. a verified exposure to infectious substances or injurious radiation; or
6. an injury that is likely to require hospitalization.

Dangerous goods involvement

“Dangerous goods” has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992. An accident is considered to have dangerous goods involvement if any car in the consist carrying (or having last contained) a dangerous good derails, strikes or is struck by any other rolling stock or object. It does not mean that there was any release of any product. Also included are crossing accidents in which the motor vehicle involved (e.g., tanker truck) is carrying a dangerous good.

Derailment

Any instance where one or more wheels of rolling stock have come off the normal running surface of the rail, including occurrences where there are no injuries and no damage to track or equipment.