Found the following newspaper article in the Courier News (New Jersey) for 3/5/07. It is kind of ironic coming after the news item from the day before as posted below.
WASHINGTON: There were less accidents and deaths involving trains in the U.S. last year, but more railroad incidents involving hazardous materials.
Last year, 486 people nationwide were killed after trespassing on railroad lines compared with 518 deaths in 2006. Another 339 fatalities involving trains and a car or truck, 30 fewer than in 2006, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by the Federal Railroad Administration.
The number of fatalities rose in 2006 compared with the previous year.
A troubling area of incidents that did rise last year involved rairoad cars that released hazardous materials, which jumped to 43 reports from 28 in 2006.
More trains carrying ethanol and relatively new technologies used to safely release the fuel likely contributed to that increase, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Boardman told reporters during a conference call Tuesday morning.