Trains News Wire
FRA halts safety culture assessment of Union Pacific, citing coaching of workers
By David Lassen | April 30, 2024 | Last updated on May 1, 2024
Railroad says issue stemmed from mistake by one employee
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has discontinued efforts to gather information for an assessment of Union Pacific’s safety culture, telling the railroad it found indications of activities by the railroad that “adversely impact the integrity” of the process.
The railroad, in a statement to Trains News Wire, says the issue arose from a mistake by one employee.
FRA Associate Administrator Chief Safety Officer Karl Alexy said in an April 26 letter to UP President Beth Whited that the agency found employees had been coached to provide specific responses in FRA interviews, and in some cases had been told they were required to report any approach by the FRA to a supervisor. “Reports of this coaching span the UPRR system and railroad crafts,” Alexy wrote. “FRA has also encountered reluctance to participate in field interviews from employees who cite intimidation or fear of retaliation.
“Continuing to collect data when the objectivity of the employees at UPRR, the FRA staff who devote time and effort to these inspections, and to the public,” Alexy wrote. “As such, with widespread evidence that these fundamental elements have been jeopardized, FRA has no choice but to end data collection activities.”
Whited responded in a letter to Alexy and FRA Administrator Amit Bose dated today (April 30).
“As discussed, please know the Union Pacific team did not intend to influence or impede the assessment in any way,” Whited wrote. . . .
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The safety culture assessment grew out of last year’s Norfolk Southern derailment and hazardous-chemical release in East Palestine, Ohio, as well as other incidents shortly thereafter. The FRA initially performed an assessment of NS [see “FRA launches 60-assessment of Norfolk Southern safety,” Trains News Wire, March 7, 2023], finding the railroad’s commitment to safety was improving but still flawed [see “FRA report: Norfolk Southern safety improving …,” News Wire, Aug. 9, 2023]. That process was expanded to cover all Class I railroads at the request of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer [see “FRA will conduct safety assessments of all Class I railroads …,” News Wire, June 7, 2023].
