Federal railroad inspectors find alarming number of defects on Union Pacific this summer

Federal inspectors found an alarming number of defects in the locomotives and railcars Union Pacific was using at the world's largest railyard in western Nebraska this summer, and the railroad was reluctant to fix the problems. Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose wrote a letter to UP's top three executives Friday expressing his concern that the defects represent a “significant risk to rail safety on the Union Pacific railroad.” A spokeswoman for the railroad defended Union Pacific's commitment to safety Sunday and pledged to work with the federal agency to address its concerns. Railroad safety has been a key concern nationwide this year ever since a fiery Norfolk Southern derailment in Ohio in February.