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A Union Pacific employee lines a switch to determine the rail car's destination. Photo: Union Pacific
Union Pacific improves community safety through investment
Published: Fri, 2015-03-06 13:51-
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Has achieved 7 percent derailment decrease
Training, technology and investments helped Union Pacific improve safety in 2014 by reducing its reportable derailment rate 7 percent. The company improved its reportable derailment rate to 3.0 from 3.24 in 2013, and has improved this rate 38 percent over the past 10 years.
A company's derailment rate is calculated using the number of derailments per million train miles reportable to the Federal Railroad Administration.
"Nothing is more important than the safety of our employees and communities," said Bob Grimaila, Union Pacific vice president - Safety, Security and Environment. "We invested $4.1 billion in 2014 in our network and operations, enhanced already solid track inspection processes and technology, and broadly deployed creative employee training initiatives to continue our journey to zero derailments."
Union Pacific invested more than $31 billion over the past 10 years to strengthen its infrastructure, technology and equipment, decreasing derailments 38 percent over the same period. The railroad's prevention and risk reduction process includes a variety of initiatives:
-Using lasers and ultrasound technology to identify rail defects;
-Forecasting potential failures before they happen by tracking the acoustic vibration on wheels and heat trends on wheel bearings;
-Performing a real-time analysis of every rail car each time it passes a trackside sensor, equaling 20 million car evaluations per day; and
- Regular employee participation in rigorous safety training, including training to identify and prevent potential derailments.
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