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The Federal Railroad Administration

The Federal Railroad Administration is one of the DOT's 10 agencies that deal with intermodal transportation. Its goal is to facilitate the safe and reliable transportation of goods and people.

FRA field inspectors inspect the railroad track, train control and signal systems, as well as operating practices. They also investigate complaints.

Definition

A federal railroad is a type of rail transport in the United States that is controlled by the government. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, creates and enforces regulations for railways as well as manages funds from railroads and conducts research to improve rail transportation. The FRA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's intermodal transportation division, and its chief executives are the Administrator and the Deputy Administrator.

The agency is responsible for all freight and passenger transport that is made possible by the rail network of the United States. The agency also consolidates the federal funding for rail transportation and supports the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor passenger service. The agency also regulates the ownership and operation of intermodal facilities, like tracks, rights of way, equipment, real estate and rolling stock. It also manages federal rail transportation programs.

FRA's responsibilities include establishing through regulation, following an opportunity for notice and comment, a process by which any person may make a complaint to the Secretary of Homeland Security concerning railroad security problems or shortcomings. The agency also develops guidelines, conducts inspections and evaluates the compliance of its rail laws in six technical disciplines, which include track signals, track and train control; motive power and equipment; operating procedures hazardous materials and highway-rail grade intersections.

The agency is in charge of ensuring that the railroad transportation system is operating in a safe, economic and sustainable way. The agency also demands that railroads to provide a safe working environment and provide adequate training for their employees. The agency also sets and enforces railroad prices to ensure that the public is billed fair prices for transportation services.

Additionally, the Federal Railroad Administration enacts and enforces rules to prevent discrimination against railroad workers, and also protects whistleblowers from retaliation by railroad companies. The agency also establishes an procedure through which railroad employees can file complaints regarding the company's actions.

The primary goal of the FRA is to ensure the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods to build a stronger America, now and in the future. The FRA achieves this by controlling safety of railroads, coordinating programs for assistance to railroads and conducting research that supports the improvement of safety for railroads and national rail transportation policy, coordinating and supporting the development of a rail network as well as helping the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads were essentially monopolies, with no competition. The railroad industry was able to abuse its dominance in the market due to. Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission, as along with other regulatory agencies, to curb railroad monopolies' abuses.

Purpose

federal employers liability railroads are federal agencies that establish rules, regulate rail funds and conduct research to improve rail transport in the United States. It oversees both freight and passenger railroads and operates the nation's rail infrastructure. It is one of the ten agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding the existing railway infrastructure.

The government's primary responsibility in the railway industry is safety. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is responsible for this, and has several divisions that oversee the country's passenger and freight rail operations. The most important of these is the Office of Railroad Safety, which is home to around 350 safety inspectors and is responsible for conducting inspections to determine compliance with regulations in six technical disciplines: track, signal and train control, motive power and equipment, operating procedures as well as hazmat and highway rail grade crossings.

FRA has various departments, including the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. It is responsible for the programs that are meant to improve passenger and freight rail transportation, such as the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for granting grants given to railways and works with other agencies to plan the nation's rail requirements.

The FRA also has a duty to enforce federal laws related to railroads and their workers. This includes preventing railroads from discriminating against employees, and making sure that all injured railway employees are transported to the nearest hospital for first aid treatment. Additionally, railroads are prohibited from refusing or delaying medical care to injured railway employees.

The FRA is the primary regulator of the freight and passenger rail industries, however there are other agencies that manage the economic aspects of rail transport. The Surface Transportation Board, for example is responsible for setting rates and managing the economics of the industry. It has regulatory authority on railroad mergers, line sales, construction and abandonment. Other responsibilities include establishing rules after opportunity for public input that allows anyone to complain about alleged safety violations to the agency.

Functions

Railroads transport goods and people to and from cities in the developed nations as well as remote villages in countries that are less developed. They transport raw materials from processing and manufacturing facilities, and final goods from these facilities to stores or warehouses. Railroads are a critical form of transportation for a variety of essential products, including coal, oil, and grains. In 2020, freight railroads moved more than a quarter of all freight volume in the United States [PDF].

Federal railroads function as a business just like other businesses, with departments for marketing and operations, sales and an executive department. The department for marketing and sales collaborates with potential and current customers to determine what kind of rail services they need and the amount they should cost. The operations department then creates rail services that meet these needs at the lowest cost possible to earn money for railroad. The executive department oversees the entire operation and makes sure that every department is operating efficiently.

The government supports the railways in a variety ways, from grants to subsidized rates for government-owned transport. Congress also offers funds to help build new stations and tracks. These subsidies are usually in addition to the earnings railroads receive from ticket sales and freight contracts.

Amtrak is owned by the United States government. It is a quasi-public for profit company with a huge shareholder that is the United States government.

A major role of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is to develop and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical state of trains, as well as the safety and health of railroad employees. FRA also collects data on rail security to identify trends, areas that need improvement or regulatory attention and to determine trends.

In addition to these fundamental duties, FRA works on various other projects related to improving the economy and security of railroad transportation in the United States. For instance, the agency is working to eliminate barriers that could delay railroads in adopting positive train control (PTC). PTC is a safety system that makes use of sensors and computers on board to stop the train when it is too close to another vehicle or object.

History

The first railroads in the United States were constructed in the 1820s and 1830s, largely in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. The railroads greatly accelerated industrialization in those areas and also brought more food products to the market. This helped the country to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on foreign imports, which resulted in a solid economic base.

In the late 19th century the railroad industry experienced the benefits of a "Golden Age" during which new, more efficient raillines were built and passenger travel became popular. The government's efforts in expanding the railroad system were a major factor. For instance, the government, gave homesteaders land grants to encourage them to settle in the West. Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads also worked together to construct the first transcontinental railroad, which allowed travelers to travel from New York City to San Francisco within six days.

However in the first half of the 20th century, demand for railroad passenger services slowed and other transportation options like airplanes and cars gained popularity, while stifling regulations hindered railroads in their ability to compete economically. A string of bankruptcies, service cuts, and deferred maintenance followed. Additionally, a misguided railroad regulations from the federal government contributed to the decline of the railroad industry.

Around the year 1970, the federal government began loosening the regulations governing railroads. The Surface Transportation Board was established to oversee the economic aspects of the industry such as mergers and rates for railroads. The Federal Railroad Administration, which supervises freight and passenger transportation and sets safety standards for rail was also established.

Since then, the infrastructure of the railroads of the United States has seen a significant amount of investment. The Northeast Corridor has been rebuilt, for instance, to accommodate more efficient and modern high-speed ground transportation (HSGT). The effort has also been made to develop more efficient freight rail systems. In the future, FRA hopes to continue its relationship with all transportation agencies in order to ensure safe and reliable railroads. The role of FRA is to ensure that the nation's transportation system operates as efficiently as possible.