TX ranks high in railway accidents

AUSTIN (AP) - A report released Thursday finds Harris County is the most dangerous in Texas for railway accidents. The Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Association said Harris County had nearly 1,400 reported incidents from 1998 through 2007. Those incidents include derailments, collisions, pedestrian trespassing and hazardous material releases. The group said the accidents killed nearly 100 people and left more than 1,100 injured.

The group said Texas, with more railroads than any other state and more miles of track, ranks No. 1 nationally for train-vehicle collisions and deaths at rail crossings. The review found 12,271 rail accidents in Texas from 1998 to 2007, leading to 853 deaths and 7,203 injuries.

Executive director Bruce Todd said Texas needs to invest in the system to reroute freight tracks away from urban areas and fix dangerous rail crossings. Here is a look at the group's 12 most dangerous Texas counties:

1. Harris: 1,376 rail accidents, 90 deaths and 1,145 injuries.
2. Tarrant: 799 accidents, 39 deaths, 710 injuries
3. Bexar: 493 accidents, 51 deaths, 519 injuries
4. Dallas: 356 accidents, 38 deaths, 225 injuries
5. Webb: 331 accidents, 17 deaths, 282 injuries
6. El Paso: 282 accidents, 34 deaths, 231 injuries
7. Jefferson: 222 accidents, eight deaths, 154 injuries
8. Cameron: 144 accidents, seven deaths, 124 injuries
9. Brazoria: 143 accidents, eight deaths, 112 injuries
10. Potter: 123 accidents, nine deaths, 111 injuries
11. Fort Bend: 121 accidents, 15 deaths, 77 injuries
12. Bell: 116 accidents, 16 deaths, 97 injuries