2025 rail occurrences in Canada are set out in the Transportation Safety Board’s latest statistical summary, covering reported rail events, accident types, dangerous goods releases and fatalities. The agency also monitors aviation, marine and pipeline transport to identify patterns, developing safety issues and areas where additional safety action may be required.

Railway crossing on Renfrew Street in Vancouver
Illustrative photo of a railway crossing on Renfrew Street in Vancouver, British Columbia. Photo: FlyingPenguins / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.5

The TSB separates reported occurrences into accidents and incidents. Across all transport modes, 3,354 occurrences were reported to the board in 2025⁠, the agency said in a press release.

Rail transportation sector figures

In the rail transportation sector, 1,163 occurrences were reported during the year. Of these, 831 were classified as rail accidents, 7% lower than in 2024 and 17% below the 10-year average of 1,007 rail accidents.

Dangerous goods were involved in 82 of the 831 rail accidents. Three led to a release of dangerous goods, down from six releases in 2024 and below the 10-year average of five.

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Rail accident types and fatalities

Non-main track derailments made up the largest share of rail accidents, at 35%. Miscellaneous accidents accounted for 20%, while crossing accidents represented 19%. Trespasser accidents made up 11%, followed by main track derailments at 8%, non-main track collisions at 6% and main track collisions at 1%.

Rail-related fatalities reached 71 in 2025, up from 69 in 2024 and above the 10-year average of 64. Trespassing remained the main cause of rail fatalities in Canada, with 53 deaths. Crossing accidents accounted for another 16 fatalities, according to TSB officials.

The TSB frames the rail figures as a statistical summary, not an in-depth analysis of the data. The report covers federally regulated railways only and excludes non-federally regulated data. It also notes that the 2025 figures reflect the Railway Occurrence Database System as of 12 March 2026, so totals may change slightly as the live database is updated. Separately, the TSB states that its role is to advance transportation safety, not to assign fault or determine liability.

The full statistical summary of rail transportation occurrences⁠ is available to view.

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