Rail transport accidents decreasing in 2007

In 2007, there were 2,566 persons killed or seriously injured in railway accidents in the EU-27, which is comparable to the 2006 value and represents an estimated 19.7% decrease compared to 2005. Less than 18% of the victims (fatalities and seriously injured) were either train passengers or railway enterprise employees. In 2007, a total of 3,855 significant train accidents were reported at EU-27 level. The category 'Accidents caused by rolling stock in motion' accounted for 37.5% of all significant accidents, followed by 'Accidents involving level crossing', with a share of 33.2%. Compared to 2006, the total number of reported accidents in 2007 decreased by 20.7% in the EU-27.