Safety is at the forefront of every railroader’s mind, and safety is at the foundation of everything BNSF Railway does. As a common carrier, we’re required to move all regulated products, including hazardous materials like crude oil. This is a responsibility we take very seriously.

Our commitment to safety is reflected in our excellent record: 99.99% of all BNSF hazardous material shipments are delivered without accidental release. Rail is a safer way to transport such materials than by truck—16 to 20 times safer based on the number of reported incidents, according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. We invest billions of dollars each year to improve our operations, infrastructure and safety efforts, so we intend to keep rail a safe way to ship our clients’ products.

Heavy investment has been funneled into new and emerging technologies to further reduce risk and increase safety. BNSF has significantly invested in inspection and detection technology, including A.I. to detect rail defects, as well as emergency response programs. Learn more at: https://www.bnsf.com/in-the-community/safety-and-security/.