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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for the safety of rail, regulations and enforcement, rail funding and research on improving rail strategies.

FRA inspectors on the ground use discretion to determine which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty process. This discretion helps ensure that those violations most deserving of punishment are penalized.

Allies and members of SMART-TD made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to allow two people in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains. The fight isn't over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to safeguard the health and welfare of employees and the public. It formulates and enforces regulations for rail safety and oversees the funding for rail. It also studies strategies for improving rail infrastructure and technology. It also formulates and implements a plan to ensure that current infrastructure, services, and capacity and strategically expands and enhances the national rail network. The department requires all rail employers to adhere to strict rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with the tools needed to be successful and safe. This includes taking part in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees that have full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective equipment.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the leading edge of enforcing rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Anyone who is in violation of the rail safety laws could be punished with civil penalties. Safety inspectors from the agency are able to decide on the extent to which an individual violation is in line with the statutory definition of a criminal penalty-worthy act. Additionally, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety department examines all reports submitted by regional offices to determine legality before determining penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the regional and field levels ensures that the time-consuming, costly civil penalty process is used only in situations that are truly deserving of the impact of a civil penalty.

To be convicted of a civil infringement the employee of a rail company must know the rules and regulations that govern the conduct of his or her employees. fela claims must also be aware of and ignore these rules. The agency does not consider that an individual who acts in response to a supervisor's direction is guilty of committing a willful crime. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire network over which goods and passengers travel within metropolitan and city areas and between them. A plant railroad's trackage in the steel mill isn't considered to be part of the overall rail system of transportation even being physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations that pertain to safety and the movement of dangerous substances. The agency also manages rail financing, including grants and loans for infrastructure and improvements to service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and the industry to devise strategies to improve the nation's railroad system. This includes ensuring the existing rail infrastructure and services, responding to the demands for additional capacity and expanding the network strategically as well as coordinating the national and regional system planning and development.

While the majority of the agency's activities are focused on freight transportation, it also handles the transportation of passengers. The agency is working to connect people to the destinations they desire and offer more choices for travel. The agency is focused on improving the experience for passengers as well as enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring the railway system continues to function efficiently.

Railroads are required to comply with a range of federal regulations, including those that deal with the size and composition of crews on trains. In recent years this issue has become controversial. Some states have passed legislation that requires two-person crews in trains. This final rule codifies the minimum size of crew requirements at the federal level, making sure that all railroads are held to the same safety standards.

This rule also requires that each railroad operating a one-person crew notify FRA and submit a risk analysis. This will allow FRA to better identify the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with the typical two-person crew operation. In addition this rule alters the review standard for a special approval petition from determining whether the operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether approving the operation is secure or as safe as an operation with two crew members.

During the period of public comment on this rule, a large number of people voted for a requirement for two people on the crew. A letter written by 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member would not be as quick to respond to issues with trains or grade crossing incidents, or assist emergency response personnel at a highway-rail grade crossing. Commenters pointed out that human factor are responsible for more than half all railroad accidents. They believe that a larger crew could ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.

Technology

Freight and passenger railroads employ various technologies to improve efficiency, improve security, increase safety and more. Rail industry jargon covers a variety of distinct terms and acronyms. Some of the most notable include machine vision systems (also known as drones) and rail-inspection systems that are instrumented driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicle (also known as drones).

Technology isn't just replacing certain jobs; it's helping individuals to perform their work better and safer. Passenger railroads are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards to increase ridership and make the system more efficient. Other innovations like autonomous rail cars are getting closer to becoming reality.





The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve safe affordable, reliable, and secure transportation in America, is focused on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar effort will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems and tracks updated and stations being rebuilt or replaced. The FRA's rail improvements program will be significantly expanded by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key part of this effort. Recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging, maintaining communication and using inputs of a wide range of stakeholders. It still needs to consider how its research contributes towards the department's primary objective of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods via rail.

The agency could improve its efficiency by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the principal industry association for the freight rail industry that is focused on research, policy and standard setting created a Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to help create standards within the industry.

The FRA is interested in the group's development of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This could apply to rail transit as well as vehicles on the road. The agency will want to know the amount of risk the industry perceives with fully automated operation, and whether the industry is considering any additional measures to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Railroads are using technology to improve worker safety and improve business processes. efficient and ensure that the cargo that they transport arrives at its destination safely. These innovations vary from cameras and sensors that monitor freight, to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies allow railroads to dispatch emergency personnel directly to sites of accidents to minimize danger and minimize the damage to property and people.

One of the most well-known innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC) that will stop collisions between trains and train, situations where trains are on tracks where they shouldn't be and other accidents that result from human error. This system is made up of three parts: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive and a massive server that analyzes and collects data.

Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to bolster security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist passenger security staff in locating passengers and other items onboard trains in the event in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also investigating other ways to use drones, such as using them to perform inspections of bridges and other infrastructure, such as replacing the lighting on railway towers, which can be dangerous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is a different technology that is used in railways for passengers. It can detect objects or people on tracks and alert drivers if it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are especially effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other issues during the evenings when traffic is less and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.

Another important technological breakthrough in the rail industry is telematics, which enables railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to monitor the status and condition of a traincar through real-time tracking. Traincar crews and operators can benefit from increased accountability and transparency which can help them improve efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays when delivering freight.