Working for the railroad is a difficult job and not without its own complex risks. If you're hurt on the job, it's likely that your employer is liable for your injuries thanks to the Federal Employers Liability Act, or FELA. If your injury or injuries were caused by a violation of safety protocols in your workplace, it's easier to prove that your employer is to be held liable.
The Occupational Safety and Health Organization does have regulations and safety standards that railway companies need to abide by, but those aren't the only regulations that your company has to follow. On top of those, standards provided by FELA and the Boiler Inspection Act could come into play. For instance, if you are burned because a boiler is turned up too high and explodes, a safety violation may have occurred and you could be in a position to receive compensation.
In any accident involving an injury, one way to know if you can make a claim is to talk to your attorney about your case and what happened. Attorneys are trained in work-environment safety regulations regarding the railway and other companies, so they can help determine whom you can file a claim against. You may also want to consider reaching out to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
If the Occupational Safety and Health Administration comes to your workplace and gives it a violation in relationship to your injury, it's a good way to prove that you were injured because of your employer's negligence and sets the grounds for you to file a claim for compensation.
Source: FindLaw, "OSHA and Railroad Workplace Safety," accessed Jan. 21, 2016