Milwaukee's streetcar has among the highest in derailments across U.S. transit systems, report says

Yahoo

23-04-2025

Among U.S. public transit organizations, Milwaukee's streetcar had the highest rate of derailments last year when factoring in its shorter mileage, according to a Journal Sentinel analysis of U.S. Department of Transportation data.
The Hop, a fixed-transit network stretching across a 2.1-mile loop, derailed five times last year, confirmed DPW spokesperson Tiffany Shepherd. Since it started running in 2018, the streetcar has derailed a dozen times, making last year the highest rate of derailment in its history, according to the U.S. DOT.
Most derailments occurred last year because of issues with its switches. Despite a driver crashing into the streetcar last year, none of the reported derailments in 2024 were caused by collisions, confirmed Shepherd.
"We reported all five incidents, even though they were very minor in nature and would have no way of verifying if all other transit agencies reported all incidents that were so minor," Shepherd wrote in a statement.
"Safety is always our top priority, and there have been no injuries associated with these five incidents. The increase in these incidents is tied to a previously identified issue with a track switch, which occurs during winter months when melting snow impacts the switch mechanism. In these cases, the derailments were technical in nature. No full streetcar left the track, only a small portion of the wheel experienced a misalignment at the switch point. The streetcar was able to safely stop, reverse and realign itself without posing a risk to passengers or the public. In fact, to a bystander, the streetcar would have appeared fully on the track, as the incidents were brief and largely unnoticeable. Even passengers on board, would have been unaware that what they were experiencing was a reportable derailment. We have taken steps to address the issue, and permanent repairs to the infrastructure are planned. We remain committed to ensuring safe and reliable service," she wrote.
Here's a breakdown of what caused Milwaukee's streetcar to derail last year, plus where Milwaukee landed among the U.S. transit organizations with the highest rates of derailment.
The Milwaukee streetcar sits atop the list of public transit systems across the nation for its derailment rate. According to a Journal Sentinel analysis of DOT data, the Hop had over five derailments per 100,000 miles in 2024. That is higher than any other transit systems in the nation.
The Journal Sentinel used the latest data from 2023 from the U.S. DOT Federal Transit Administration to track each public transit system's mileage traveled. Data includes derailment information from U.S. transit systems such as subways, light rail, commuter rail and trolleys.
While other public transit systems in places like Massachusetts and California saw greater numbers of derailments, these transit systems cover far more mileage and in fact had lower derailment rates than Milwaukee's Hop.
For example, the heavy rail in Boston had 33 derailments last year. However, it also traveled over 83 million miles in 2023, making its derailment rate much lower than that of Milwaukee.
Most derailments in Milwaukee last year happened after the streetcar failed to change over on the switch point from one part of the track to the other. In these cases, the streetcar was able to back up on its own and realign itself. "All of these incidents were ones that caused very minimal disruption," Shepherd wrote in an email.
During one incident, authorities saw parallel pavement score marks at the Burns Commons stop. The investigation showed a trainee and operator proceeding through the switch, causing the rear car to derail for more than five feet. Both of them later confirmed they felt a bump, but didn't report anything, according to data from the DOT.
It's not the first time the electrical switches have caused problems. Last winter, riders experienced numerous shutdowns when electrical switches repeatedly failed due to exposure to snow and salt, according to city officials. When each shutdown occurred, officials had to inspect and clean out the switches before resuming service, resulting in disruptions for the L-Line, the route spanning from downtown to the lakefront.
To make more permanent repairs, the city hopes to replace two of the switches, which will cost around $100,000 per switch, Shepherd previously wrote in an email.
There are different types of railway systems in the U.S. Most can be classified as either light rail or heavy rail.
The Hop is considered a streetcar, or a type of light rail, that has its tracks embedded in public streets. It also shares the road with other cars.
Other light rails can have elevated platforms, different power sources, or tracks that are separated from other parts of the street. But they are more local compared to heavy rails.
Heavy rails are generally larger railway systems that are fully separated from other traffic, often underground or elevated, and they often run much faster than light rails across a city or different cities.
These are the transit organizations with the most derailments in 2024, according to the latest data from U.S. DOT:
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Heavy Rail: 33
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Light Rail: 10
San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District Heavy Rail: 10
New Orleans Regional Transit Authority Street Car Rail: 8
Utah Transit Authority Light Rail: 7
Denver Regional Transportation District Light Rail: 7
Chicago Transit Authority Heavy Rail: 7
Pittsburgh Regional Transit Light Rail: 6
MTA New York City Transit Heavy Rail: 6
City of Milwaukee Street Car Rail: 5
RELATED: Ridership of Milwaukee's streetcar The Hop sees slight uptick in passengers compared to previous year: Inside the data
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee's streetcar, the Hop, ranks high in derailments in 2024