By Sarah Johnson
(Reuters) – U.S. railroad Union Pacific (NYSE:) was found to have interfered in a federal safety audit by coaching employees on how to respond, leading to the cancellation of the review, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee revealed on Friday.
Senator Maria Cantwell announced that she would be launching an investigation into Union Pacific’s actions after the FRA informed the committee that the assessment had to be terminated “due to Union Pacific’s actions to undermine the integrity of the assessment process.”
Cantwell requested that the company provide all relevant documentation related to the safety culture audit, as well as any plans to enhance its safety culture.
Union Pacific emphasized that safety is a top priority for the company and stated that they would respond to Cantwell’s inquiry.
The FRA confirmed the cancellation of the safety culture audit, citing instances where employees were coached to provide specific responses and faced reluctance to participate in interviews due to intimidation or fear of retaliation.
The FRA indicated that a new safety-culture assessment of Union Pacific may be initiated later this year or early next year.
Cantwell expressed deep concern over the FRA findings and the impact of Union Pacific’s actions on employee reporting of safety issues. She also raised concerns about the company’s derailment rate, which is significantly higher than other major railroads.
In response to a series of rail incidents, the FRA announced plans to conduct safety assessments of all major U.S. railroads starting in June 2023.
Recent reports also revealed that the National Transportation Safety Board accused Norfolk Southern (NYSE:) of obstructing its investigation into the Ohio derailment.
Cantwell’s committee approved rail safety legislation in May 2023 to enhance safety measures and increase fines for violations, although the bill has faced delays in Congress.