Relationship Between Multiple Train Derailment Causal Factors and the Occurrence of Train Derailment

Train derailments can result in loss of life, interruption of services, and destruction of the environment. Understanding the correlates of train derailments can help railway managers and safety managers reduce the occurrences of train derailments. Grounded in the Swiss cheese model, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between train derailment causal factors, visibility, weather, number of crew members, crew members’ length of time on duty, and the occurrence of a train derailment. Data were collected from secondary data on 1,396 Class I and Class II railroad accidents during the 2019 calendar year. The results of the binomial logistic regression were statistically significant, X2(12, N = 1396) = 114.265, p \u3c .001. Nonoperator causal factors and the number of crew members on duty were statistically significant predictors of the occurrence of a train derailment. A key recommendation for railway managers is to adjust preventative maintenance measures and increase the number of crew members on duty. The implications for positive social change include potentially reducing the frequency of train derailments and saving lives