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Regulation

Train Country

Investigating Railroad Safety in America

As powerful railroad companies race to maximize profits through efficiency, safety is left behind.

Impact of Our Reporting
Caret

Train Country

How Norfolk Southern Is Addressing Blocked Train Crossings in Hammond, Indiana

The railroad company has delivered on early, short-term fixes for the trains blocking kids from getting to school, but some officials are skeptical it will follow through on bigger, permanent changes.

by Topher Sanders,

Train Country

Blocked Crossings Crisis Draws Local and National Calls for Action

After seeing images of kids crawling under trains, regulators ask companies to address blocked crossings, lawmakers demand consequences, residents clamor for solutions and Norfolk Southern’s CEO calls a mayor to work out a fix.

by Topher Sanders and Dan Schwartz,

Union Pacific Fired Him Rather Than Heed His Warnings of Dangerous Rail Conditions

by Danelle Morton and Topher Sanders, with additional reporting by Jessica Lussenhop,

“Do Your Job.” How the Railroad Industry Intimidates Employees Into Putting Speed Before Safety

by Topher Sanders, Jessica Lussenhop, Dan Schwartz, Danelle Morton and Gabriel Sandoval,

Regulators Blast Union Pacific for Running Unsafe Trains

by Topher Sanders,

Help ProPublica Report on Railroad Worker Safety

by Topher Sanders, Dan Schwartz and Ruth Baron,

As Rail Profits Soar, Blocked Crossings Force Kids to Crawl Under Trains to Get to School

by Topher Sanders and Dan Schwartz, ProPublica, and Joce Sterman, Gray Television/InvestigateTV; Video by Scotty Smith, Gray Television/InvestigateTV; Photography by Jamie Kelter Davis for ProPublica,

The True Dangers of Long Trains

by Dan Schwartz and Topher Sanders, with additional reporting by Gabriel Sandoval and Danelle Morton, graphics by Haisam Hussein,

A Norfolk Southern Policy Lets Officials Order Crews to Ignore Safety Alerts

by Topher Sanders and Dan Schwartz,

Do Blocked Railroad Crossings Endanger Your Community? Tell Us More.

by Ruth Baron, Topher Sanders and Dan Schwartz,