Strategic Initiatives to Reduce Derailments in a Changing Operating Environment

摘要

Derailments are an unpleasant fact of life on railroads. The good news is that the number of derailments on Class 1 railroads has declined significantly over the past several decades. The not so good news is that the trend in derailment rates has plateaued over the past six to seven years, and, in fact, increased over the past three years (See Figure 1). While it is not clear if this short-term trend will continue, it is clear that significant progress has not been made on continuous process improvement when it comes to preventing derailments over the past several years. It is also clear that a new generation of railroaders is upon us, and the need for training and understanding is paramount. And with the implementation of Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), it is more important than ever to keep an eye on derailment prevention. Six of the seven Class Is have now embraced all or parts of the PSR operating model. One of the basic tenets of PSR is to "do more with less," i.e., less track and fewer cars, locomotives, and people. The implication is that less track will see greater ton miles; fewer wheels will generate greater ton miles; and train lengths and tonnages per train will increase. Under this type of scenario, assets wear and degrade more quickly, while windows for preventive and corrective maintenance shrink-a recipe for accelerated fatigue (of personnel and the physical plant) and the potential for accidents and derailments.