TSB Releases Final Transportation Occurrence Stats for 2023

(Courtesy of TSB)

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has published its final annual statistical summaries from 2023 on transportation occurrences (accidents and incidents) in the rail, air, marine, and pipeline sectors, showing accidents were down from the previous year for all sectors but air.

The summaries build on the preliminary statistics published in February 2024 by TSB, which is an independent agency that investigates rail, air, marine, and pipeline transportation occurrences and whose “sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety,” rather than to “assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.”  

Rail

A total of 1235 rail occurrences (accidents and incidents associated with the operation of rolling stock on a railway) were reported to the TSB in 2023, a decrease of 11% from the previous year (1,382), according to the independent agency. Of these occurrences, a total of 914 were rail accidents, resulting in 67 fatalities, which TSB said were two more than the previous year.

Trespassing accidents remain the primary cause of fatalities accounting for 79% of all rail fatalities, followed by crossing accidents, the agency reported. Eighty-seven of these accidents involved dangerous goods, a decrease from the 2022 total of 110, and six of these resulted in a product release.

According to TSB, there were 27 accidents and 10 incidents that involved an unplanned/uncontrolled movement of rail equipment, for a total of 37 occurrences (three of which involved vandalism). This is down from the 2022 total of 51 (two of which involved vandalism).

Additionally, 321 railway incidents were reported, representing a 14% decrease from 2022 (374).

Air

According to TSB, a total of 1,020 air transportation occurrences (accidents and incidents) were reported to the agency, up 14% from the previous year (894). Of these occurrences, a total of 182 were accidents, up 10% from 2022 (166). Of these, 19 were fatal, resulting in 33 fatalities, which TSB said was down slightly from the 24 fatal accidents and 34 fatalities in 2022. Overall, the number of air transportation accidents has been decreasing in the last decade, the agency reported.

Accidents involving commercial operators were up 38% from 2022 (56) to 2023 (77), while those involving private operations were down from 108 to 103, according to TSB. Of the total occurrences, 838 were aviation incidents, which is an increase from the previous year (728), the agency said.

Marine

A total of 1,027 marine transportation occurrences (accidents and incidents) were reported to the TSB in 2023, falling 15% from the previous year (1,212), according to the agency. Of these occurrences, a total of 235 were accidents, nine of which were fatal and resulted in 18 fatalities—more than double the 2022 total of seven, TSB reported. As in previous years, a high proportion of the fatalities (11 of the 18) was related to commercial fishing, according to TSB, which noted that “[t]hese fatalities underline why commercial fishing safety remains on the TSB Watchlist.” Additionally, 792 marine incidents were reported to the agency, which represents an 18% decrease from 2022.

Pipeline

According to TSB, a total of 68 pipeline occurrences were reported to the agency in 2023, all of which were incidents. No pipeline accidents were reported in 2023, compared to one in 2022 and an average of one per year from 2018 to 2022.

Of the 68 incidents in 2023, 17 involved a release of product, which TSB said is the smallest number of occurrences with product release in the past 11 years. As in previous years, there were no serious injuries or fatalities arising directly from the operation of a federally regulated pipeline, according to the agency.