Why are people worried about train derailments?

The disastrous Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has drawn heightened scrutiny of rail accidents nationwide. Trains go off the rails frequently — on average, the United States sees three derailments per day. Many derailments aren’t as serious as the one in East Palestine, where toxic chemicals were released from multiple tank cars, requiring a massive cleanup and causing environmental contamination that left residents with questions about their future safety. But the high-profile crash has sown anxiety about the accidents, which can be caused by equipment failures and errors.

How frequent are derailments?

The number of train derailments each year dropped drastically in the 1970s and ’80s and has been fairly steady for the past decade, with a slight decrease starting in 2020, according to Federal Railroad Administration data analyzed by The Post. Still, derailments accounted for two-thirds of the country’s 3,600 train accidents from 2018 to 2021, according to the FRA. Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio and Alabama saw the most derailments. The four major railroads in the United States are BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX and Norfolk Southern, which was operating the train that derailed in Ohio. Hundreds of smaller railroads also operate.

How are people reacting?

In the weeks after the derailment, railroad companies , members of Congress and the Department of Transportation made various calls for safety and infrastructure improvements. Some lawmakers and activists have pushed for stricter regulation of the rail industry. Grilled by senators at a hearing in Congress, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw endorsed some new safety steps and pledged to clean up in East Palestine but stopped short of guaranteeing other measures. Elsewhere, anxiety about the accidents has been on display. In one Pennsylvania county, emergency responders held a derailment training ; a city council in Ohio passed a resolution asking state and federal officials to legislate protections; and people in Virginia began protesting Norfolk Southern’s transportation of coal, which they say causes coal dust.

Where have trains derailed?

Since the derailment in East Palestine, other derailments have received more attention. Some of the accidents since February include:

Another train derails, spilling diesel on Washington tribal reservation

By Justine McDaniel

March 16, 2023 at 4:56 p.m. EDT

On March 2, the main road from Pennsylvania into East Palestine, Ohio, is closed while workers clean up the site of a Feb. 3 train derailment. (Rebecca Kiger for The Washington Post)

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A train derailed and spilled diesel fuel on tribal land in Washington, state officials said Thursday.

The BNSF train derailed on the Swinomish Reservation in Anacortes, Wash., around midnight. Though it occurred next to a bay, the spill did not appear to have affected water or wildlife, the Washington Department of Ecology said Thursday afternoon. Crews installed a boom on the shoreline to contain potential pollution and were emptying and removing rail cars.

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State officials said up to 2,500 gallons of diesel may have spilled, though a BNSF spokesperson said a “minimal amount” had leaked. The state originally said that about 5,000 gallons had spilled, an incorrect estimate that a spokesperson told The Washington Post had been based on the size of the tankers.

“BNSF will be able to measure the remaining fuel in the locomotive once it is in a safe location, and we will update information as it’s available,” Washington Department of Ecology spokesperson Scarlet Tang told The Post.

Hours before, another BNSF train carrying corn syrup derailed near Topock, Ariz., close to the California border, briefly causing alarm after local authorities said it might contain hazardous chemicals. There were no injuries, but the incident closed the train tracks, according to local news reports.

The causes of both derailments are under investigation as personnel worked to clear the areas, said BNSF spokesperson Lena Kent.