ANALYSIS OF FREIGHT TRAIN ACCIDENT STATISTICS FOR 1972-1974

Both train speed and dollar damage have been used in transportation studies as measures of accident severity. Analysis of freight train accident data for the three year period, 1972-74 showed that, in general, as speed increases dollar damage to railroad property also increases. A greater percentage of high speed than low speed accidents result in high dollar damage. Factors, in addition to speed, that can have an important effect on accident severity include the type of accident, the kinds of railcars and other equipment involved, and the geographical environment of the accident. Threshold levels of accident stresses (e.g., impact and puncture forces and fire temperature and duration) are required to compromise the integrity of shipping containers used for the transport of radioactive materials. Analyses of accident severity using either speed or dollar damage as a basis can provide some insights into the possible risks involved in transport of radioactive materials, however, care must be taken in the strict use of results since there is no direct correlation between either speed or dollar damage and cask failure threshold levels.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • From 5th Symposium on Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials, Las Vegas, Nevada, May 7, 1978.
• Corporate Authors:

  Batelle Memorial Institute/Pacific Northwest Labs

  Battelle Boulevard, P.O. Box 999
  Richland, WA  United States  99352
• Authors:
  • Murphy, E S
• Publication Date: 1978-5

Media Info

• Pagination: 8 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Containers; Crash analysis; Freight trains; Radioactive materials; Risk analysis; Safety
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00317453
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Energy Research Abstracts
• Contract Numbers: EY-76-C-06-1830
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 16 1980 12:00AM