But rail fatalities climb even as overall accidents fall
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) reported 3,354 transportation occurrences in 2025 across the air, marine, pipeline and rail sectors, with total accidents falling 13% below the 10-year average, according to final annual statistics released 6 July 2026.
The TSB received 1,141 air occurrences in 2025, including 204 accidents and 33 fatalities. Accidents rose 5% over 2024 but remained 1% below the 10-year average of 206. Most accidents, 189 of 204, involved Canadian-registered aircraft operating within Canada.
Accident counts have climbed for three consecutive years following the pandemic-era downturn, and the TSB's Air statistical summary states that "accident numbers in 2025 approached their pre-pandemic levels."
The TSB recorded 22 fatal accidents in 2025, 8% below the 10-year average of 24. Nineteen of the 33 fatalities involved commercial operations, including flight training, air taxi and aerial work sectors; none occurred in airliner or commuter operations. The overall accident rate was 3.0 per 100,000 aircraft movements, consistent with recent years.
Marine sector
Marine occurrences totalled 990, including 257 accidents, an increase from 213 in 2024 but 4% below the 10-year average of 267. Six fatalities were reported, a 50% drop from 2024's total of 12 and below the 10-year average of 15.
Three of the six fatalities occurred aboard commercial fishing vessels. In its Marine statistical summary, the TSB states that "improving safety in the commercial fishing industry is an ongoing concern of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada," noting the issue continues to appear on the agency's Watchlist.
Serious injuries rose to 45 from 38 in 2024, with the majority occurring aboard ship rather than during shipping accidents.
Pipeline, rail sectors
Federally regulated pipelines recorded 60 occurrences in 2025, all classified as incidents. Twenty involved a release of product. According to the TSB's 6 July 2026 release, "there were no serious injuries or fatalities associated with the operation of federally regulated pipelines," continuing a strong safety record for the sector.
Rail occurrences totalled 1,163, including 831 accidents, down 7% from 2024 and 17% below the 10-year average of 1,007. Despite the decline in accidents, fatalities rose to 71 from 69 in 2024, above the 10-year average of 64.
Trespassing remained the leading cause of rail deaths, accounting for 53 fatalities, though this was down from 56 in 2024. The TSB's Rail statistical summary notes that "the percentage of trespasser accidents that were fatal... was down from the 10-year average of 64%." Crossing accidents caused 16 fatalities, up from 12 the previous year but below the 10-year average of 17.
Of the 831 accidents, 82 involved dangerous goods, and three resulted in an actual product release. The main-track accident rate held at 2.5 accidents per million main-track train miles, below the 10-year average of 2.6.
