Texas leads nation in crashes where railroads cross highways
There were more crashes at highway-rail crossings in Texas last year than in any other state in the nation.
Preliminary data from the Federal Railroad Administration shows that Texas had 246 crashes with trains involving vehicles and pedestrians at at-grade highway-rail crossings, 73 more than California, which took the second spot.
The state also had 16 deaths and 75 crossing injuries. Accidents accounted for more than $11 million in reportable damage last year and were most often caused by human error.
With more miles of railroad than any other state, Texas has been a leader in such crashes for years. But safety incidents have been trending downward amid increased public education efforts.
“In the '70s and '80s we were up to 12,000 collisions annually, and then in 2021 it was reduced all the way down to 2,000 nationally,” said Jessica Devorsky, executive director of Texas Operation Lifesaver.
Operation Lifesaver is the largest rail safety organization in the U.S. and is funded by Class I railroads.
From 2019 to 2021, Harris County had the highest number of highway-rail incidents, at 81, followed by Tarrant County with 30 and Dallas County with 26.
“These are high population centers, and when you have a lot of people, you'll have a lot of cars, you're going to have more pedestrians, and you're also going to have (more) freight rail,” Devorsky said. “It's just the nature of these high-density population places, so that's why we're seeing a lot of incidents in those places.”
The freight rail industry has come under increased scrutiny after last year's East Palestine, Ohio, derailment. While federal regulators have raised red flags about stagnant safety records over the past decade and warned of the increased risks associated with running longer trains, Devorsky said there hasn't been a clear association between rail industry practices and collision rates.
“If the trains are longer, it's taking them longer to get through crossings … but, as far as the data is concerned, as of now, the FRA hasn't reported any major change with precision railroading,” Devorsky said.