The safety culture of PSAP is the foundation of the service we provide to our customers and communities. As a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming, PSAP is part of an organization that aims to be the safest rail service provider in the world. Our focus on safe operations aims to protect employees, customers and members of the communities in which we operate.
As part of PSAP’s continuing education for our employees, all operating personnel participate in annual knowledge-based trainings and field certifications. Employees receive special training in subjects that include security and environmental protection, and afterward they must pass a rigorous test to demonstrate their knowledge. Each engineer is examined in the field by a Designated Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers who rides along in the train and certifies the engineer’s compliance with all safety rules.
Railroads’ annual investments to modernize and improve America’s freight rail network have significantly contributed to freight rail’s strong safety record. There is a direct correlation between the increase in rail network investments and enhanced safety performance. With record levels of private investment in capital improvements and maintenance over the last five years and $575 billion invested since 1980, America’s privately owned freight railroads are at the forefront of advancing safety.
- The train accident rate fell 42 percent since 2000 and 79 percent since 1980.
- The rail employee casualty rate fell 48 percent since 2000 and 84 percent since 1980.
- The grade crossing collision rate fell 42 percent since 2000 and 81 percent since 1980.
Freight railroads have dramatically improved safety and efficiency through the use of new technologies and operational innovations. Many of these advancements were developed or refined at the finest rail research facility in the world: the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) in Pueblo, Colorado. These improvements are designed to identify problems before damage, traffic delays or accidents occur.
Massive private investment has made railroads the safest method of ground transportation. With high-tech advances, railroads are now safer than highway trucking.