Train Safety Failures Persist as Federal Oversight Struggles to Keep Up
Despite years of internal warnings and many high-profile derailments across the country, federal surveillance has never been able to quickly find safety problems in America's rail system.
The American Ledger looked at federal files, state transportation records, and inspection data not too long ago. They found that a lot of the same problems that had been found in 2023 and 2024 had not been fixed by the end of 2025.
Railroad unions say that safety concerns are growing because operations are getting harder and there aren't enough people. Many conductors told The American Ledger that they are working longer shifts and needing overtime more often in order to meet shipment deadlines.
“The system still relies heavily on technology and processes that are decades old,” said Harold McIntyre, a former FRA safety engineer. “If modernization continues to lag, we’ll keep seeing avoidable failures.”
Also, the study found that different rail companies don't always tell the federal government about safety issues in the same way. Some operators still use manual or self-reported data, but others have certified, real-time tracking systems. This makes it hard to find structural problems at the national level.
Experts say that the country's train safety system will keep getting worse unless there are more reports and more federal money. This is especially true as old equipment gets older and the weight of freight goes up.
Outdated Technology Creates Growing Risks Modernization plans stall while rail traffic grows
This is mostly because major freight lines are being used to move chemicals, oil, and agricultural goods. But efforts to modernize, like adding advanced braking systems and automatic track-monitoring equipment, have fallen behind, especially on regional and rural networks that don't have the same resources as bigger carriers.
Industry experts say that the lack of skilled inspectors and technicians, the difficulty of getting government approval, and the high costs of installing and maintaining railroads for smaller operators are all slowing down progress. Also, the freight boom after the pandemic has put a lot of stress on workers and infrastructure.
Dr. Marcia Lowell, a transportation safety expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says, "Federal rules are getting better, but the rollout of technology is much slower than the risk level needs." Experts say that the industry will continue to have long-term safety problems unless federal, state, and private train companies work together better. The Department of Transportation wants to do more inspections in 2026.
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