What-To-Say-About-Federal-Railroad-To-Your-Boss-y

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 employ discretion to determine which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty process. This discretion helps ensure that the violations most deserving of punishment are penalized.

SMART-TD members and allies made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to ensure that two people are in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains. The fight continues.

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 develops and enforces regulations for rail safety, administers rail funding and researches rail improvement strategies and new technologies. It also creates the implementation and maintenance of plans for the maintenance of current rail services and infrastructure. It also expands and improves strategically the rail network across the nation. The department requires all rail employers to adhere to strict rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with the tools to succeed and stay secure. This includes participation in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational health and safety committees that have full union participation and anti-retaliation protections and providing employees with 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 conduct a myriad of investigations into complaints of non-compliance. Civil penalties may be handed out to those who violate the rail safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have a wide discretion to determine whether a violation falls under the statutory definition of an act that is punishable with civil penalties. In addition, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety department reviews all reports received by regional offices to determine legal sufficiency before assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used in cases that warrant their use.

A rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions and be aware of the guidelines to commit a civil penalty-worthy offense. The agency does not believe that a person who acts upon a directive from a supervisor is guilty of committing a willful crime. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire network that carries goods and passengers within and between metropolitan areas and cities. A plant railroad's trackage in the steel mill isn't considered part of the general transportation system by rail even although it is physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, including those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency oversees rail finance, including loans and grants for service and infrastructure improvement. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's rail infrastructure. This includes maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the needs for new capacity, expanding the network strategically, as well as coordinating the regional and national system's development and planning.

Although the majority of the agency's work focuses on freight transportation, it also oversees the transportation of passengers. The agency is working to provide more options for passengers and connect people to the places they'd like to travel to. The agency is focused primarily on improving the experience of passengers, enhancing safety of the existing fleet and ensuring the rail system continues to operate efficiently.

Railroads are required to abide with a range of federal regulations, including the ones pertaining to the size and composition of train crews. This is controversial in recent years, with a few states passing legislation to require two-person crews on trains. This final rule establishes federally the minimum crew size requirements, ensuring that all railroads follow the same safety standards.

This rule also requires that each railroad that has a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. 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 standard for reviewing an approval request that is a special case from determining whether an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is as safe or safer than two-person crew operation.

During the period of public comments for this rule, a number of people voted for a requirement for two persons on the crew. A form letter sent by 29 people outlined their concerns that a single crew member might not be as quick to respond to train-related malfunctions or crossing incidents or assist emergency response personnel at a highway-rail grade crossing. fela settlements noted that human factors account for more than half of railroad accidents, and they think that a bigger crew would help ensure the safety of both the train and its cargo.

Technology

Trains for passenger and freight use a variety of technologies to increase efficiency, enhance security, and improve safety. Rail industry jargon comprises a variety of specific terms and acronyms. Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems (also called drones), instrumented rail-inspection systems driverless trains rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicle (also called drones).

Technology isn't just replacing certain jobs -- it's empowering people to perform their jobs more efficiently and with greater security. Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards to boost ridership and increase the efficiency of their system. Other developments like autonomous rail cars are getting closer to reality.

As part of its ongoing effort to advance safe, reliable and affordable transportation for the nation, the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollar project that will see tunnels and bridges rebuilt, tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations rebuilt or upgraded. The FRA's rail improvement program will be substantially expanded by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is an essential part of this initiative. The most recent National Academies review of the office found it excelled at engaging in a continuous dialogue and utilizing the inputs from a variety of stakeholders. But it must concentrate on how its research aids in the department's main objective of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people by rail.

The agency could improve its effectiveness by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR), the primary industry association for the freight rail industry that is focused on research, policy and standard setting created an Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping create standards within the industry.

The FRA is interested in the development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently different levels of automation. This could be applicable to rail transit as well as on-road vehicles. The agency will also be looking to understand the level of safety risk that the industry believes is associated when implementing a fully automated system and whether or not the industry is considering additional security measures to reduce the risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are embracing technology to increase worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the freight they transport arrives at its destination intact. Examples of this kind of innovations range from the use of cameras and sensors to keep track of freight, and to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transport. Some of these technologies offer railroads the ability to dispatch emergency personnel to locations of accidents so they can swiftly reduce risks to property and lives.





One of the most prominent innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC), which will inhibit collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks where they shouldn't be, as well as other accidents resulting from human errors. It is a three-part system consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train and wayside networks that connect with the locomotive, and a huge backend server that analyzes and collects data.

Passenger railroads also embrace technology to enhance security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist security personnel in locating passengers and other items onboard trains in case in an emergency. The company is also examining ways to utilize drones. They could be used to check 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 can be utilized in railways for passengers. It is able to detect objects or people on tracks and warn motorists that it is not safe to continue. These kinds of technologies can be particularly beneficial in detecting unsafe crossings and other issues in the off-hours, when traffic levels are lower and there are fewer people around to witness an accident.

Telematics is a significant technological breakthrough in the rail industry. It allows shippers, railways and other stakeholders to monitor a traincar in real-time. Traincar crews and operators can benefit from increased accountability and transparency which will allow them increase efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help reduce delays when delivering freight.