Skip to content

Friday, Jun. 30, 2023

Have there been a record number of train derailments since Biden took office?

Alberto Gomez, MinnPost
no

Although his term is not complete, train derailments have not become more frequent since President Biden took office in January 2021.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reported 1,103 derailments nationwide in 2021 and 1,184 in 2022. In comparison, derailments averaged 1,277 per year over Trump's four years in office.

Since 1975, the government’s data show the largest number of derailments occurred in 1978 at 8,764.

Derailments declined significantly after that, though there was a smaller increase in the early 2000s, peaking in 2004 with 2,435 derailments. Derailments trends have continued to go down since.

In 1978, Minnesota peaked with 249 derailments and trended downward since. Between 1975 and 1984, Minnesota averaged 203 derailments per year and 89 per year between 1985 and 1994.

Minnesota saw 27 derailments in 2022 and 24 in 2021.

A derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this year prompted calls for stronger safety rules. 

See a full discussion of this at MinnPost

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.

See all fact briefs

MinnPost is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces thoughtful, in-depth journalism about civic and cultural affairs impacting Minnesota. Through our reporting, we take readers beyond the headlines and deep into the issues that matter through our public-service journalism, empowering them to engage in the politics and policy-making shaping Minnesota’s future.

Learn More

Latest Fact Briefs

Be a Friend of facts

Help us fund more great fact briefs like this one.