Rail transportation occurrences in 2021

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) gathers and uses transportation occurrence data during the course of its investigations to analyze safety deficiencies and identify risks in the Canadian rail transportation system.

This summary covers federally regulated railways only. Non-federally regulated data reported to the TSB are not included in this report.

It should be noted that certain characteristics of the data constrain statistical analysis and identification of emerging trends. These include the small totals of accidents and incidents, the large variability in the data from year to year, and changes to regulations and definitions. The reader is cautioned to keep these limitations in mind when viewing this summary to avoid drawing conclusions that cannot be supported by statistical analysis.

The 2021 data were collected according to the reporting requirements described in the Transportation Safety Board Regulations in force during that calendar year.

The statistics presented here reflect the TSB Railway Occurrence Database System (RODS) database as of 15 March 2022. Since the occurrence data are constantly being updated in the live database, the statistics may change slightly over time.

Also, as many occurrences are not formally investigated, information recorded on some occurrences may not have been verified.

Accidents ^{Footnote 1}

Overview of accidents and casualties

In 2021, 1038 rail accidents were reported to the TSB (Figure 1 and Table 1), up from the 2020 total of 988, but a 3% decrease from the previous 10-year (2011–2020) average of 1071.

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Freight trains accounted for 38% of all trains involved in rail accidents in 2021. Four percent (42 in total) were passenger trains, with the remaining 58% comprising mainly single cars/cuts of cars, locomotives, and track units (Table 3).

The largest proportion of reported rail accidents (39%) comprised non-main-track derailments^{Footnote 2} (Figure 2 and Table 1). Typically, most non-main-track accidents have low severity, as they occur during switching operations at speeds of less than 10 mph.

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* Due to rounding of percentages in category labels, additions across accident types should be calculated from Table 1 data rather than by adding percentages shown in Figure 2.

The proportion of accidents that were main-track derailments in 2021 (7%) was approximately the same as both the previous year and the 10-year average.

In 2021, 13% of rail accidents involved vehicles or pedestrians at rail crossings, below the 15% average of the previous 10 years. The proportion of other accident types^{Footnote 3} (29%) in 2021 was above the 10-year average (13%). This increase is due primarily to an unusually high number of right of way fires (144) on main-track reported to the TSB in 2021.

In 2021, 86 accidents involved dangerous goods (Table 1),^{Footnote 4} up from 82 in 2020 but below the 10-year average of 125. Two accidents resulted in a dangerous goods release in 2021, compared with 3 in 2020, and the 10-year average of 4.

Rail fatalities (Figure 3 and Table 1) totalled 60 in 2021, unchanged from last year but below the previous 10-year average of 71. Crossing fatalities totalled 16 in 2021, down from 18 in 2020 and below the 10-year average of 23. Trespasser^{Footnote 5} fatalities totalled 42 in 2021, up from 40 in the previous year and above the 10-year average of 40. In 2021, 1 railway employee was fatally injured, below the 10-year average of 3 employee fatalities.

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A total of 51 serious injuries resulted from rail occurrences in 2021 (Figure 4 and Table 1), up from 40 in 2020 but below the 10-year average of 58. Crossing accidents^{Footnote 6} resulted in 24 serious injuries, up from 12 in 2020 but below the 10-year average of 26. Trespasser serious injuries totalled 17 in 2021, down from 20 last year and below the 10-year average of 20. Six railway employees were seriously injured in 2021, down from 8 in 2020 and below the 10-year average of 11.

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The number of main-track accidents^{Footnote 7} totalled 353 in 2021 (Figure 5 and Table 1), up from 208 in 2020 and 78% above the 10-year average of 198. As in 2019 and 2020, a portion of main-track accidents in 2021 consists of an unusually high number of right of way fires on main-track reported to the TSB in 2021 (137). Rail activity^{Footnote 8} on main track (i.e., non-yard) decreased by 1% from the previous year. The main-track accident rate in 2021 was 4.8 accidents per million main-track train miles, up from 2.8 in 2020 and 90% above the 10-year average of 2.5.

Kendall’s tau-b (τb) correlation and Sen’s estimate of slope were used to quantify the trend in main-track accidents and accident rates shown in Figure 5. Kendall's (τb) correlation coefficient is a nonparametric measure of the strength and direction of association that exists between two variables. Kendall’s τb was calculated on the 11-year series of accident rate values by year from 2011 to 2021. There was a moderately strong, positive correlation that indicates an upward trend in accidents per million main-track train miles over the period (τ_b = 0.6, p < 0.05). Sen’s estimate of slope, the amount of upward rate change per year, was 0.105 occurrences per million main-track miles per year.

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Accidents by type

Main-track collisions and derailments have potentially the highest severity of all rail accident types. They can result in substantial damage to property and the environment, and can cause injury or fatality. The risks increase significantly when passenger trains are involved or dangerous goods are released from trains that derail in populated areas.

There were 3 main-track collisions (Table 1 and Figure 6) in 2021, down from the 2020 total of 7 and down from the 10-year average of 5. No fatalities or serious injuries resulted from main-track collisions in 2021. There was no release of dangerous goods as a result of main-track collisions.

A total of 76 main-track derailments (Table 4) were reported in 2021, an increase from the 2020 total of 70, but 8% below the 10-year average of 83 (Figure 6). Thirty-two percent of the 76 main-track derailments occurred in British Columbia, 22% occurred in Alberta, and 17% occurred in Ontario.

The number of main-track derailments per million main-track (i.e., non-yard) train miles (Table 4) increased to 1.03 in 2021 from 0.93 the previous year but below the 10-year average of 1.04.

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No fatalities or serious injuries resulted from main-track derailments in 2021 (Table 2). Sixteen main-track derailments involved dangerous goods, up from the 2020 total of 7 and above the 10-year average of 14. Two of these derailments resulted in release of products (one elevated temperature liquid, N.O.S; one gasoline).

In 2021, 23% of assigned factors^{Footnote 9} for main-track derailments (Table 5) were equipment-related, down from the 10-year average of 31%. Actions-related factors^{Footnote 10} accounted for 18% of assigned factors in 2021, down from the 10-year average of 22%. Track-related factors were reported in 42% of main-track derailments in 2021, above the 10-year average of 36%.

Non-main-track collisions (Table 6 and Figure 7) totalled 61 in 2021, down from the 2020 total of 67, and below the 10-year average of 93. Derailments occurred in 27 non-main-track collisions (44%), and 11 of those derailments involved the derailment of only one car.

No fatalities or serious injuries resulted from non-main-track collisions in 2021 (Table 2). Dangerous goods were involved in 31% 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 (79%), down from the 10-year average of 87% (Table 7). Failure to protect, such as improper positioning of movements and handling of switches, was assigned most often (46%) as a factor.

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There were 400 non-main-track derailments^{Footnote 11} in 2021 (Table 8 and Figure 7), down from 492 last year and 24% below the 10-year average of 528. In 82% of 2021 accidents, 1 or 2 cars derailed. No fatalities or serious injuries resulted from non-main-track derailments in 2021 (Table 2).

Dangerous goods cars were involved in 11% of non-main-track derailment accidents, none of which resulted in a release of product.

In 2021, actions-related factors represented 51% of all assigned factors for non-main-track derailment accidents, above the 10-year average of 47% (Table 9). Track-related factors represented 27% of all assigned factors, below the 10-year average of 32%. Environmental-related factors represented 14% of all assigned factors in 2021, above the 10-year average of 11%.

Crossing accidents (tables 10 and 11) represented one of the more serious types of rail accidents in 2021, with 23% of these resulting in serious or fatal injuries.

There were 135 crossing accidents in 2021, a 4% increase from the 2020 total of 130 but 18% below the 10-year average of 165. The number of accidents at public automated crossings (57) was up from the 2020 total of 54, but below the 10-year average of 82. The number of accidents at public passive crossings (56) was the same as the 2020 total and the 10-year average. Accidents at private and farm crossings (22) increased from the 2020 total of 20 but were 19% below the 10-year average of 27.

In 2021, 42% of crossing accidents occurred at public automated crossings, and 41% at public passive crossings (Figure 8). Although there are nearly twice as many public passive crossings than public automated crossings, the comparable number of accidents occurring at automated crossings is due, in part, to higher vehicle and train traffic volumes at the automated crossings. The TSB is conducting ongoing research to better understand the causes of crossing accidents during the winter (see for example, Rail Transportation Safety Issue Investigation R20H0082 - Transportation Safety Board (tsb.gc.ca)).

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There were 15 fatal crossing accidents in 2021, down from 16 reported in 2020 and below the 10-year average of 20. Crossing-related fatalities totalled 16 in 2021, down from 18 reported in 2020 and below the 10-year average of 23.

Although crossing accidents involving pedestrians accounted for 10% (13) of all crossing accidents in 2021, they accounted for 40% (6) of fatal crossing accidents and 38% of crossing-related fatalities.

Crossing-related serious injuries totalled 24 in 2021, up from the 2020 total of 12 but below the 10-year average of 26.

In 2021, 2 crossing accidents resulted in a train derailment, down from 3 in 2020 and below the 10-year average (5).

No crossing accidents resulted in the release of dangerous goods in 2021.

Alberta had the highest proportion (23%) of all crossing accidents in 2021. Ontario had the second highest total with 20% of crossing accidents, followed by Saskatchewan with 18%, and British Columbia with 16% (Figure 9).

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Trespasser accidents (Table 12 and Figure 10) totalled 64 in 2021, up from 60 in 2020 and above the 10-year average of 63. Ontario accounted for 55% of trespasser accidents, followed by British Columbia with 17%, Quebec with 11%, and Alberta with 9%.

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In 2021, the proportion of trespasser accidents that were fatal (66%) was above the 10-year average of 64%. The proportion of trespasser accidents resulting in serious injuries (25%) was below the 10-year average of 32%.

Incidents ^{Footnote 12}

Overview of incidents

In 2021, there were 194 reported rail incidents (Figure 11 and Table 1), down from 229 in 2020.

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*  New TSB Regulations came into effect on 1 July 2014.

“Movement exceeds the limit of authority”^{Footnote 13} incident type accounted for 56% of reportable incidents in 2021 (Table 13), followed by “non-main-track train derailments – no damage” (20%), “uncontrolled movement of rolling stock” (7%), and “main-track switch in abnormal position” (7%).

In 2021 there were 13 “uncontrolled movement of rolling stock” incidents, as well as 3 derailment incidents and 1 collision incident that involved an uncontrolled movement of rolling stock. In addition, 33 accidents involved an uncontrolled movement of rolling stock (Table 1), for a total of 50 occurrences. This is similar to the total of these occurrences in 2020 (51), but an 18% decrease from the 10-year average of 61.

There were 109 incidents in 2021 where the movement exceeded the limit of authority, a decrease from 149 reported in 2020 and 15% below the 10-year average of 129 (Table 1).

Data tables