Benchmarking for a New Railway Accident Classification Methodology and Its Database: A Case Study in Mexico, the United States, Canada, and the European Union

Rail accidents have decreased in recent years, although not significantly if measured by train accidents recorded in the last six years. Therefore, it is essential to identify weaknesses in the implementation of security and prevention systems. This research aims to study the trend and classification of railway accidents, as well as analyze public databases. Using the business management method of benchmarking, descriptive statistics, and a novel approach to the Ishikawa diagram, this study demonstrates best practices and strategies to reduce accidents. Unlike previous studies, this research specifically examines public databases and provides a framework for developing the standardization of railway accident causes and recommendations. The main conclusion is that the proposed classification of railway accident causes, and its associated database, ensures that agencies, researchers, and the government have accessible, easily linkable, and usable data references to enhance their analysis and support the continued reduction of accidents.