Safety Database - Report 2014 - Significant Accidents occurred in Europe during the year 2013 - Public Report

Approximately 10 years ago, the International Union of Railways (UIC) began recording significant accidents and events. Since 2006, tables and graphs of comparable data from 21 UIC members have established a benchmark and allowed trends and developments in railway safety to be identified. 

Statistical analysis of "significant" accidents in recent years has shown that there is an ongoing positive trend in Europe. The efforts made to improve railway safety amongst the 21 members of the UIC Safety Database are bearing fruit.

However, we should remain very cautious when analysing accident statistics and never forget that trends might be inversed after a single accident, such as the one that unfortunately occurred last July.

However, we must not allow this positive trend to lull us into a false sense of safety. 

A closer analysis of "Train collisions and derailments" statistics indicates that unfortunately, despite the positive trend, the number of victims increased markedly in 2013. Four accidents, each with high numbers of victims, which occurred last January (Austria) and July (France, Spain, Switzerland), mar an otherwise very positive picture. 

The "Train collisions and derailments" graph shows that the aforementioned accidents have a negative impact on the number of victims (total deaths and serious injuries, not including suicides).