Union Pacific’s Proven Safety Strategy Is Delivering Historic Results
In 2025, Union Pacific delivered its best-ever full-year personal injury and derailment incident rates, improving 24% and 19% year-over-year, respectively. The results are rooted in a safety-focused mindset organized around four pillars:
- Go Home Safe Culture: A focus on critical rules supported by training drives consistent, safe execution and a culture that empowers employees to speak up when they see unsafe behaviors.
- Technology-Enabled Risk Reduction: Proactively using technology to spot potential risk earlier strengthens prevention and reliability across the network.
- Field-Based Learning and Coaching: On-the-ground engagement reinforces understanding and rules compliance in real-world environments, supporting safer and more consistent operations.
- Continuous Improvement Through Safety Systems: An integrated safety management system connects rules, training, technology and field practices in a single framework to promote consistency, identify emerging risk, reinforce accountability and drive continuous improvement.
"Go Home Safe" Comes First in Our Safety Strategy
Every day, our employees work with large, heavy equipment to move products and materials across 23 states with gateways connecting the continent. We are investing in a safety culture where employees are empowered to speak up if they see something unsafe, to stop a process or activity if they have concern and to look out for one another. We are cultivating a safety-focused mindset by emphasizing safe choices and work relentlessly to drive activities and encourage peer-to-peer and manager-employee interactions that reinforce safety as our top priority.
Command Center Provides 24/7 Employee Safety Resource
Our Operating Practices Command Center (OPCC) serves as a 24/7 employee resource for accurate and consistent information on rules and regulations, helping to comply with safety protocols and standards. The OPCC utilizes advanced technology to proactively analyze unintended train stops, conduct engineer recertifications and fulfill annual employee training requirements.
Investing in Technology to Advance Safety
Like many historical industries, railroads have seen our fair share of change. We’re modernizing rail operations with technology that empowers employees and advances safety. From remote-controlled trains to Positive Train Control, innovation is reducing risk across our network. Frontline teams use mobile tools to access real-time data on track, locomotive and rail car conditions – helping assess risk, prioritize tasks and control switches. By digitizing manual processes, we’re reducing manual processes and the associated physical risks.
Union Pacific Proudly Recognizes Employee Safety Excellence
Our goal is to be an industry leader in safety, and we are committed to continuously finding new ways to enhance safety. We’re proud to recognize employees across our 23-state system who help drive our safety culture and strategy forward.
J.C. Kenefick Safety Award - Our highest individual honor, awarded annually to a craft professional demonstrating outstanding safety leadership.
Safety Bell – Our highest team safety honor, awarded annually to the Transportation service unit with the best overall safety record.
Dennis G. Beachler Grade Crossing Safety Award – Recognizes both a craft professional and manager who help educate others and build community awareness about grade crossing safety.
- Guardian Awards – Presented to hundreds of Union Pacific train dispatchers annually, recognizing their dispatching excellence.
- Safety Managers of the Year – Field managers nominated by local leaders for enhancing their work group’s safety mindset.
Saluting a Job Well Done
Safety is paramount to the success of Union Pacific and deeply ingrained in our culture.
- Badges of Honor – Distributed to 27,000+ Operating employees without an FRA reportable injury, safety vest badges are worn onsite daily, featuring years of safe service.
- Courage to Care Salutes – Employees recognize peer efforts daily, submitting thanks for a job safely done that generates a certificate and message to their manager.
- Go Home Safe Trading Cards – 170 custom trading cards featured front-line craft professionals and craft-specific Critical Safety Rules.
- Team Injury-Free Milestones – We honor small team wins that compound into monumental safety performances year-round at staff meetings, in local newsletters, with safety feeds and on social media.
Lead with Courage. Act with Care. Go Home Safe.
Courage to Care is a personal pledge to prioritize safety by asking questions, following the rules, avoiding shortcuts and encouraging others to do the same. It’s about making the right choices – every time – so everyone goes home safe.