Chris Barkan, Professor and George Krambles Director of RailTEC, was the guest speaker for the University of Delaware’s Kerr Lecture Series on Monday, 25 April 2022. This lecture series brings distinguished scientists and engineers to the University of Delaware each year to speak on topics in engineering mechanics and design. The title of his presentation was “Improving Railroad Train and Hazardous Materials Tank Car Safety”. While railroads have invested in infrastructure, rolling stock, and technology leading to substantial improvements in train safety and efficiency, the damage resistance of tank cars involved in derailments has also improved due to design changes. It is thus paradoxical that some of the most serious, high-profile hazardous materials release accidents have occurred in the past decade or so. This presentation discussed statistical and analytical modeling research conducted by RailTEC’s Safety and Risk Research Group on identifying the most important safety improvements in the past and maximizing their efficacy.