Union Pacific Under Fire: Safety Audit Controversy Sparks Federal Probe

Senator Maria Cantwell announced a probe into Union Pacific after the company allegedly interfered with a federal safety audit. The Federal Railroad Administration was forced to end the audit due to claims of tampering. Cantwell is seeking documents on the company's safety culture, citing concerns over employee coaching and a high derailment rate.

U.S. railroad Union Pacific interfered in a federal safety audit after employees were coached how to respond, prompting the federal rail agency to end the review, the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee said on Friday.

Senator Maria Cantwell announced she was opening a probe into Union Pacific's actions after the Federal Railroad Administration reported discontinuing its assessment due to Union Pacific's actions undermining the integrity of the process.

Cantwell is demanding all documentation related to the safety culture audit, along with policies and plans to improve safety practices. Union Pacific stated that safety is its 'key foundational pillar' and promised a response. The FRA has not commented on the matter.

Cantwell expressed deep concerns about the findings, highlighting that employees were coached to answer inspectors in specific ways and report those interactions to supervisors. She fears this undermines safety reporting, especially considering Union Pacific's derailment rate being 30% higher than other major railroads.

In June 2023, the FRA announced it would conduct safety assessments of major U.S. railroads following a February 2023 Norfolk Southern-operated train derailment in Ohio. Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board's chair claimed Norfolk Southern had threatened the board and withheld documents during an investigation.

In May 2023, Cantwell's committee approved comprehensive rail safety legislation to mandate technology for detecting equipment failures and increasing fines for safety violations, but the bill has stalled in Congress.

(With inputs from agencies.)