1st Annual Rail Safety Week: September 24-30, 2017

The first annual United States Rail Safety Week (RSW) was held from September 24 – September 30, 2017.  Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration, RSW seeks to raise awareness about improving rail safety in the United States.  The second annual Rail Safety Week is planned for September 23 – September 29, 2018. 

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, about every three hours a person or vehicle is hit by a train in the United States.  At the end of 2015, there were 129,582 public highway-rail grade crossings and 80,073 private railroad crossings.  Since 1972, there has been an 83% decline in the number of train collisions in the U.S.  Despite the decline in train collisions over the past four decades, trespassing on train tracks continues to be a persistent problem.  In 2016, there were 988 deaths or injuries nationwide as a result of train accidents.

For more information about Rail Safety Week visit: https://www.transportation.gov/transportation-tuesday/rail-safety-week-sept-24-30


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