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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations The Federal Railroad Administration also provides funding for rail and studies strategies for improving rail safety.

FRA inspectors on the ground employ discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty procedure. This ensures that those violations most deserving of punishment are penalized.

SMART-TD and its allies made history in 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be allowed in the locomotive cabs of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to safeguard the health of employees and public. It formulates and enforces rail safety regulations and oversees the funding for rail. It also researches strategies for improving rail and technologies. It also creates and implements a plan to ensure that current infrastructure, services, and capacity, and strategically expands and improves the national rail network. The department requires that all rail operators adhere to strict regulations and empower their employees, and provide them with tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes taking part in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees that have full participation from unions and anti-retaliation clauses and providing employees with the required personal protective equipment.

FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections on equipment and conduct investigations into hundreds of complaints. Civil penalties can be imposed on those who violate railroad safety laws. The safety inspectors of the agency have a broad discretion on whether an incident falls within the statutory definition of a civil penalty-worthy act. Additionally the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division reviews all reports that are received from regional offices to determine their legality prior to assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied when they are necessary.

To be convicted of a civil violation the employee of a rail company must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern their actions. They must also knowingly not adhere to these rules. However, the agency does not consider any individual who follows a directive from a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system that passengers and goods travel within cities and metropolitan areas and between them. The trackage of a plant railroad at a steel mill is not considered to be part of the overall rail system of transportation even although it is physically connected to it.





Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, ranging from those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency also manages financing for rail which includes loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies to improve the country's railroad system. This work includes maintaining existing rail infrastructure and services as well as in addition to addressing the need for additional capacity and strategically expanding the network and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development.

The agency is responsible for freight transport, but also supervises passenger transportation. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passengers and connect people with the places they would like to go. The agency is focused on enhancing the passenger experience as well as increasing the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring that the railway system continues to function efficiently.

Railroads must abide by a variety of federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of crews on trains. In recent times, this issue has been a source of contention. Some states have passed legislation requiring two-person crews in trains. This final rule codifies the minimum crew size requirements at the federal level, making sure that all railroads are held to the same safety standards.

This also requires every railroad operating one-person train crews to inform FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will allow FRA to identify the specific parameters of each operation and compare them to the parameters of a typical two-person crew operation. This rule also changes the criteria for reviewing an application for special approval from determining if an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is safer or less risky than a two-person crew operations.

During the period of public comment for this rule, a lot of people expressed their support for a requirement for a two person crew. A letter written by 29 people expressed their concern that a lone crewmember could not be as quick to respond to train malfunctions or grade crossing incidents, or assist emergency response personnel at a highway rail grade crossing. Commenters pointed out that human factors are responsible for more than half all railroad accidents. They believe that a larger crew would ensure the security of the train as well as its cargo.

Technology

Railroads for passenger and freight use various technologies to increase efficiency, add safety, boost security and more. The language used in the rail industry includes many specific terms and acronyms, but some of the most notable developments include machine vision systems, instrumented rail inspection systems, driverless trains, rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly called drones).

Technology isn't just about replacing certain jobs. It allows people to perform their jobs more effectively and with greater security. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones 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 ensure secure reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in America is focusing on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar project will see bridges, tunnels, tracks and power systems updated and stations being rebuilt or replaced. The FRA's rail improvement program will be significantly expanded by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a key piece in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office revealed that it excelled at engaging, maintaining communications with inputs from a variety of stakeholders. But it must concentrate on how its research contributes to the department's primary strategic goal of ensuring safe movement of goods and people by rail.

Accident Injury Lawyers where the agency might be able improve its effectiveness is by identifying and assisting the advancement of automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail association that focuses on research, policy and standard setting the Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help develop industry standards for implementing the technology.

FRA is likely to be interested in the group's creation of an automated rail taxonomy, a standardization system that can clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that will be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will want to know the amount of risk the industry perceives with fully automated operation, as well as whether the industry is considering additional safeguards to minimize that risk.

Innovation

Railroads are embracing technology to increase worker safety and make business processes more efficient and help ensure that the cargo they move reaches its destination safely. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight to new railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies allow railroads to send emergency response personnel to locations of accidents so they can quickly mitigate the damage and minimize risk to property and lives.

One of the most prominent innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC) which will prevent train-to-train collisions, situations where trains are on tracks where they shouldn't be, and other accidents resulting from human mistakes. This system is made up of three components: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive; and a huge server that gathers and analyzes data.

Railroads that transport passengers are also embracing technology to bolster security and safety. Amtrak for instance, is experimenting with the use of drones to help train security staff locate passengers and items in an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to make use of drones. They could be used to examine bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are hazardous 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 warn drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These kinds of technologies can be particularly valuable for detecting unauthorized crossings as well as other issues that can arise during times when traffic is at its lowest and there are fewer people to witness an accident.

Telematics is another important technological advancement in the rail industry. It allows shippers, railways and other stakeholders to track a traincar in real-time. Crews and railcar operators can benefit from greater accountability and visibility which can help them increase efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays when delivering freight.