Cantwell Probes Union Pacific Railroad Following Interference With Federal Audit of Company’s Safety Culture

Employees were coached on how to respond to FRA safety questions & told to report interactions to company leadership

Union Pacific derailment rate is highest of all Class I railroads

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, sent a letter to the President of Union Pacific Railroad, Beth Whited, regarding its efforts to manipulate the results of a recent Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) safety culture audit by "coaching" employees across the company to provide certain responses to safety surveys and to report all interactions with FRA safety inspectors to company leaders.

"FRA informed the Committee that two weeks into the agency's audit, the agency was forced to discontinue its assessment due to Union Pacific's actions to undermine the integrity of the assessment process," Sen. Cantwell wrote. "Specifically, FRA found that employees companywide - regardless of craft or employment location across 23 states - had been coached to provide specific responses to FRA safety inspector surveys and report the interactions they had with FRA inspectors to their supervisors."

"I am deeply concerned about these FRA findings and the chilling effect the Union Pacific actions have on employee reporting of safety issues," the letter continued. "Furthermore, I worry this is an indication of a weak safety culture, especially in light of Union Pacific's derailment rate, which is the highest of any Class I railroad - 30 percent higher than the next highest Class I railroad's derailment rate, and 43 percent above average overall."

Sen. Cantwell called on Whited to provide all documentation and communication within the company regarding the FRA's safety culture audit, along with the company's current policies and plans to improve its safety culture and ensure employees can report safety problems without fear of retaliation.