SPECIAL REPORT: 2023 U.S. Train Derailments and Spills Map

East Palestine, Ohio

Train derailments are relatively commonplace, so this information will change daily. However, we will do what we can to keep the above map as updated as possible.

According to the Federal Railroad Administration, there are over a thousand train derailments in the US annually.

This is the subject of much speculation. At least part of the problem is poor rail maintenance, operator error, and the law of entropy.

In American history, the deadliest train derailment was on November 1, 1918, in Brooklyn, New York. Here, a train approached a curve where it was supposed to have dropped its speed down to 6 mph, and instead, the conductor had the train running at 35 mph. The train flew off the tracks, 102 people were killed, and many more were injured.

The worst derailment in world history is likely the December 26, 2004, Sri Lanka Tsunami Train Disaster. Here, a tsunami smacked into the side of a train full of people and derailed the train, killing up to 1700 people.

Trucks and railroad cars can commonly be found with a diamond somewhere on them, filled with various numbers, letters, and colors. This is the hazardous material diamond. Each of these symbols tells the reader what type of cargo can be found on board, making for a much easier and faster diagnosis of what to beware of in the event of an accident.

The red, blue, and yellow squares all contain numbers. The higher the number, the more dangerous a substance is carried on board, with ‘0’ being the lowest rating (e.g., minimal risk) and ‘4’ being the highest (e.g., extremely high risk).

The red square tells the reader about the fire risk of what’s on board. Just remember that fire is red, and you will remember the reasoning for this square. The blue square tells if there is a health hazard on board. Most doctors wear blue medical gloves and are involved with improving your health, which is an excellent way to remember this. The yellow square deals with explosive potential. If something explodes around you, it’ll make you yell.

And finally, the white square is the catch-all. Various symbols are here to tell you if there’s a dangerous acid or base on board, asphyxiant, or radiation risk. Think of this square as a white paper where somebody can write whatever they want.

As of October 2023, there have been 742 train derailments recorded in the United States​.

According to the Association of American Railroads (which is a great resource), the vast majority of train derailments occur in rail yards, not on mainline tracks. Therefore, it is worth your while to investigate whether there are any local rail yards near you, and if so, monitor their web sites and social media accounts for information.

An analysis by The Guardian of EPA data reveals that chemical accidents happen frequently in the U.S., averaging almost one every two days. In fact, in the first seven weeks of 2023 alone, there were over thirty incidents, which is nearly one every thirty-six hours, a significant increase from the 188 accidents in the previous year and 177 in 2021.