Today NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy and Board Member Tom Chapman held a press briefing at Chicago Union Station announcing the Strengthening Rail Safety campaign - a national effort to advance rail safety across the entire industry. Homendy outlined NTSB safety priorities for reducing preventable injuries and deaths to America's rail workers, and announced a new Railroad Investigation Report, and Safety Alert.

Railroad Investigation Report: Prohibit Riding Railroad Equipment During Shoving Movements

This Investigation Report urges the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and US rail industry to prohibit rail employees from providing point protection by riding equipment during shoving movements. These recommendations are derived from our investigations of 16 accidents between October 2020 and December 2025 in which railroad workers were fatally or seriously injured as a result of riding railroad equipment during a shoving movement. The NTSB is issuing safety recommendations to the FRA, all Class I railroads, and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.

Read the Railroad Investigation Report.

Safety Alert: Know the Risk of Working Near Live Tracks

This Safety Alert outlines the risks to railroad conductors working near live tracks and highlights two NTSB investigations in which conductors were fatally struck by passing trains. The Safety Alert urges railroads to require conductors to follow on-track safety procedures, such as establishing exclusive track occupancy on adjacent tracks, when working near live tracks.

Read the Safety Alert.

To learn more about the Strengthening Rail Safety campaign, visit the website ntsb.gov/rail.

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