Union Pacific Chicago Service Unit safety hits 365 days

Union Pacific Chicago Service Unit safety is setting a high standard in one of the nation’s busiest rail environments. The team has now gone more than 365 consecutive days without an injury, according to Union Pacific’s Chicago safety achievement update. Leaders attribute the milestone to consistent communication, teamwork and day-to-day decision-making.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

“This kind of performance isn’t accidental,” said Cerwin Fleming, general manager of the Chicago Service Unit. “It comes from staying focused, making smart choices and building a culture where people look out for each other. Team Chicago is raising expectations and showing what can happen when everyone pulls together.”

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Safety Action Plans and daily discipline

For the Chicago Operating Team injury-free milestone, the practical backbone is the way the unit applies Safety Action Plans. Union Pacific describes the approach as a signature program in which each terminal and service unit develops a plan to identify local risks and set improvement strategies while staying aligned with companywide goals, as outlined in Building a Culture of Safety, One Terminal at a Time.

In Chicago, that plan is used to reinforce accountability and awareness across roles. The unit shares weekly updates tied to Safety, Service and Operational Excellence goals. Leaders also discuss safety expectations in detail with new hires, and each shift begins with a face-to-face manager briefing.

“Railroading changes every day,” said Charlie Banks, locomotive engineer. “When communication is clear and you stay locked in on the little things, the results add up. Out here, we take care of each other.”

Yard safety protocol and crew ownership

With safety treated as an ongoing conversation, the service unit says it can spot opportunities quickly and respond. This year, the team introduced a new yard safety protocol to reinforce key behaviors when handling rail equipment, and crews were encouraged to take greater ownership of their work environment.

Area terminals also contributed to the results. Butler, Altoona, Global III, Proviso, Yard Center and West Chicago each surpassed more than a year without injuries. Global 2, Sterling and Adams are maintaining multi-year safety records.

Safety and service metrics move together

Union Pacific ties safety and service closely together, with Chicago presented as an example. “A safe operation is a fluid operation—the proof is in the metrics,” Fleming said.

Those metrics have moved in a positive direction so far this year. Rail car dwell is down, while train velocity and on-time departures are up—pointing to better service for customers. Fleming said the team wants to keep the momentum and make safety a day-to-day mindset.

The Chicago Service Unit is also a contender for the Operating Department’s Safety Bell, which Union Pacific describes in its explainer on the Safety Bell honor and presents annually to the service unit with the best overall safety record.

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