UIC Safety Report 2024 - Significant Accidents 2023 - Public Report

This year, 36 railway undertakings from 33 different countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas provided their safety-related data for the UIC Safety Database. 25 of these companies also participated in an additional data collection for a focus study on Signals Passed at Danger (SPADs). UIC is pleased to announce that this year the Safety Report’s scope has expanded to the Americas thanks to the participation of three new companies: the Argentinian State Railways (SOFSE), the Columbian National Infrastructure Agency (ANI), and Amtrak from the USA. UIC remains committed to broadening its reach and inviting companies worldwide to join this initiative, improving safety, and working together towards a harmonised safety taxonomy.

In 2023, as in the years following 2020 (the year impacted by COVID-19), a sustained rise in significant accidents was observed. This increase is reflected both in absolute numbers and in the accidents-per-train-kilometer ratio.

This upward trend poses a new challenge for the railway sector, given the long-term downward trend observed from 2006-2019.

Despite the increase in the number of significant accidents in 2023, the Global Safety Index (GSI) showed a slight decrease compared to 2022. Similarly, the Relative Safety Index mirrored this GSI trend, with minor fluctuations. Nonetheless, this downward trend in the GSI is a positive sign.