Freight trains are getting longer in the US. Thousands of such trains, often more than a kilometre long, run safely every day. But a recent derailment and resulting chemical spill in Ohio has raised questions about whether longer trains are at a higher risk of derailing.
In the first five weeks of 2023 leading up to the derailment, more than of coal, chemicals, minerals, grain, automobiles and petroleum successfully rode the railroads crisscrossing every state except Hawaii.
All major US railroads have in recent years, according to a report by the US Government Accountability Office. One industry estimate suggests that the for Class I railroads 鈥� including the major freight railroad companies 鈥� was 5347 feet (about 1600 metres) in 2022. But each day, there were more than 1600 trains with lengths of at least 7591 feet (2300 metres) operating. This is longer than what train worker unions describe as being the ideal maximum.
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Several recent derailments have involved longer trains. The freight train operated by Norfolk Southern Railway that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on 3 February was more than 9300 feet (2800 metres) in length. Another Norfolk Southern train that derailed outside Detroit, Michigan, on 16 February had a similar length. And a coal train operated by Union Pacific Railroad that derailed in Gothenburg, Nebraska, on 21 February was more than 15,000 feet (4500 metres) long. Neither railroad company responded to requests for comment.
US freight railroad companies say there is no association between train length and safety risk. And an academic study funded by the Federal Railroad Administration found no clear trend connecting per million train-miles with train length 鈥� though there was a lack of data to separate out complicating factors such as whether longer trains travel on higher-quality railroad tracks.
But both the Federal Railroad Administration, which is in charge of creating and enforcing US rail safety regulations, and labour unions share concerns about very long trains, including how they can lead to communications disruptions. The Federal Railroad Administration has also said in a that crews operating very long trains may be overworked and lack experience handling long trains that combine different loads or empty cars.
There are more than 1000 train derailments every year, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Although many are smaller incidents, it鈥檚 important to understand if longer and heavier trains have a higher risk of derailment and if such derailments lead to more catastrophic outcomes, says at the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART).
鈥淭he longer a train, the more kinetic energy it鈥檚 got while it鈥檚 zipping along the track,鈥� says , former director of rail investigations for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. 鈥淎nd if some mishap does occur, then there鈥檚 a multiplier effect based on the speed.鈥�
The Federal Railroad Administration does not currently set any limits on train lengths 鈥� and also doesn鈥檛 regularly track train lengths or their associated risks. That has allowed freight railroad companies to occasionally operate trains up to 8 kilometres (5 miles) long. But prompted by previous congressional legislation, the agency is now running and sponsoring studies on very long freight trains, including a on the impacts of trains longer than 7500 feet (2300 metres).
While the US lacks regulatory standards for freight train length, that is not the case in other parts of the world. European trains are generally 鈥� far lower than the median US train length of 1600 metres. But the US moves much more of its goods by freight rail, with railroads accounting for about .
Longer and heavier freight trains take longer to stop using standard air braking systems. The current US performance standard for air brakes was last updated in 1947 and based on tests for trains with up to 150 cars. The Federal Railroad Administration is currently also doing a 鈥溾�� that includes air braking tests for trains with more than 200 cars 鈥� an ongoing project until September 2023.
In addition, train worker unions say that it is difficult for the train engineer and conductor to communicate with each other using their radios. Long trains also lead to disruptions in the signals from the electronic devices located at the ends of trains that provide information on the train鈥檚 braking status.
The SMART union leadership wants to see federal regulators figure out the safety limitations of operating very long freight trains and then define and regulate them accordingly. 鈥淪omeone needs to put a number on very long trains,鈥� says Cassity. 鈥淚t鈥檚 got to happen in this country.鈥�
