Union Pacific has combined advanced technology with operational improvements to increase freight capacity while delivering its safest year on record.
Union Pacific has highlighted how investments in technology, operational planning and workforce expertise are enabling it to move more freight with fewer trains while achieving record safety performance across its rail network.
According to the company, 2025 was the safest year on record for the North American rail industry based on Federal Railroad Administration data. Union Pacific also recorded its lowest-ever personal injury and derailment rates, improving by 24 per cent and 19 per cent respectively compared with the previous year.
The company said these results demonstrate that safety improvements are driven by operational practices, technology and employee training rather than train length alone.
Technology drives safer freight operations
Union Pacific has continued to optimise its operations by reducing the number of active trains while increasing the volume of freight carried. Since 2019, the company has reduced active train numbers by 24 per cent while improving car velocity by eight per cent, helping create a more fluid network with increased capacity.
A key part of this strategy is the use of Physics Train Builder (PTB), an advanced analytics tool that helps employees configure trains before departure. The system is designed to reduce in-train forces, lowering the risk of equipment damage and derailments while improving overall network efficiency.
Rod Doerr, Chief Safety Officer at Union Pacific, said: “People often focus on the length of a train because it’s the part they can see.”
He added: “What they don’t see is everything that goes into building and operating that train safely – the planning, the technology, the inspections and the employees making thousands of decisions every day.”
Eric Gehringer, Executive Vice President of Operations, said: “The goal is to build the right train for the route, the terrain and the freight we’re moving.”
Investment to support future growth
Union Pacific plans to invest $3.3 billion during 2026 to strengthen its infrastructure, technology and network.
The company said future investment will allow proven operational practices and digital technologies to be deployed across an even larger network, supporting continued improvements in safety, reliability and freight capacity while meeting growing customer demand.
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