CSX Train Derails in PA, Hazmat Orders Lifted
Is freight rail safety at an all-time high or is the industry too dangerous to self-regulate?
Above: CSX freight train traveling in Oakland, California, on April 26. Image credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Freight rail safety is at an all-time high, with derailments down 46% since 2005 and injury rates hitting record lows in 2025. The industry invests $23 billion annually in infrastructure and technology, and those dollars are clearly working. The lack of injuries or serious leaks in this case is a testament to the seriousness the rail industry takes safety.
Narrative B
Federal railroad regulators have fully implemented just five of 81 safety recommendations over a decade, while the industry lobbies to cut track inspections and weaken fatigue rules. This was a near-miss in Pennsylvania, with a serious disaster barely averted. The rail industry cannot be trusted to self-regulate in light of their real shortcomings.
