Hazardous Materials Transportation

The transportation of hazardous materials is a responsibility that America’s freight railroads take seriously.  Rail is by far the safest way to move hazardous materials with 99.97 percent of the 1.7 million carloads of hazardous materials successfully reaching their final destination without incident.

But safety is a job never done and railroads are constantly working to improve hazmat safety.  Through development of safer tank cars, advanced training of emergency responders and employees, and improved information sharing with local communities and the Federal government, railroads have successfully lowered rail hazmat accident rates by 90 percent since 1980.  

In November 2008, the U.S. DOT announced final rules under which trains carrying TIH materials must be routed on the safest and most secure rail lines.  The rule requires railroads to conduct ongoing comprehensive risk analyses of their primary TIH routes and any practicable alternative routes over which they have authority to operate.

Railroads strongly support efforts to replace TIH materials with less hazardous substitutes and new technologies wherever possible. Safer substitutes are already feasible for many TIH materials today.  For example, many cities around the country have switched from chlorine to safer chemicals or new technologies for water and wastewater treatment.

 AAR Background Paper:  Hazmat Transportation by Rail, An Unfair Liability (PDF)

More Information:

Federal Railroad Administration Rail Hazmat Routing Rule Fact Sheet (PDF)

 AAR Testimony:  Common Carrier Obligation of Railroads - Transportation of Hazardous Materials (PDF)

 AAR Testimony:  Chemical Security, The Implementation of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standard and the Road Ahead (PDF)