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The Federal Railroad Administration

The Federal Railroad Administration is one of the 10 DOT agencies involved in intermodal transportation. Its goal is to facilitate the safe and reliable movement of people and goods.

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 railway in the United States that is controlled by the federal government. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, creates and enforces regulations governing railways and regulates funds for railroads, and conducts research to improve the efficiency of rail transportation. The FRA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's intermodal transportation division and its chief officers are the Administrator and the Deputy Administrator.

The agency is responsible for all passenger and freight transport that is made possible by the railway system of the United States. In addition the agency is also involved in the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor rail passenger service and consolidates support from the federal government for rail transportation. Moreover, the agency regulates the operation and ownership of all intermodal facilities such as tracks, rights-of-way, equipment real property, and rolling stock, and also provides the overall coordination of federal rail transportation programs.

The FRA's responsibilities are to establish through regulation, following an notification and comment the procedure by which any person may report to the Secretary of Homeland Security concerning railroad security problems or deficiencies. In addition, the agency sets up policies and conducts inspections to determine compliance with its rail safety regulations in six technical disciplines: track signals and train control, motive power and equipment operating practices, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.

The agency has the responsibility of making sure the railway transportation system is safe, efficient and sustainable. The agency also demands that railroads to maintain a safe workplace and provide adequate training for their employees. Furthermore, the agency sets and enforces railroad rates to ensure that the public receives an equitable price for their transportation services.

Additionally to that, the Federal Railroad Administration enacts and enforces rules to stop discrimination against railroad workers, as well as protects whistleblowers from retaliation from railroad companies. The agency also sets up a complaint procedure for railroad employees to file complaints about the conduct of the company.

The main goal of the agency is to enable the safe efficient, reliable, and secure movement of people and goods to build a stronger America today and into the future. The FRA accomplishes this through regulating railroad safety, managing programs for assistance to railroads, conducting research to support the improvement of safety for railroads and national rail transportation policies, coordinating and supporting the development of a rail network as well as helping the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads were large monopolies that had no competition. The railroad industry took advantage of its dominant position in the market as a result. Hence, Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission and other regulatory agencies to curb the abuses committed by railroad monopolies.

Purpose

federal employers’ liability act railroads are government-owned agencies that set regulations, manage rail funds and conduct research to improve the rail system in the United America. It is responsible for the railroad infrastructure of the United States and oversees passenger and freight railroads. It is one of ten agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding the current 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 manage the country's passenger and freight railway operations. The most important of these is the Office of Railroad Safety, with approximately 350 safety inspectors and is responsible for conducting inspections to determine compliance with the regulations in six technical disciplines: track signal and train control, motive power and equipment, operating procedures hazardous materials and highway-rail grade crossings.

FRA has several departments, including the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This department oversees programs aimed to improve passenger and freight rail transport, such as the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for granting grants given to railways and works with other agencies to determine the nation's rail requirements.

The FRA also has a responsibility to enforce federal laws that pertain to railroads and their employees. This includes preventing railroads from discriminating against employees, and making sure that injured railway workers are provided with transportation to the nearest hospital for initial aid treatment. The law also prohibits railroads from denying or delaying medical treatment 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. Surface Transportation Board is responsible for determining rates and governing economics in the sector. It is also responsible for regulating mergers in the railroad industry lines sales construction and abandonment. After an open consultation period, the agency is also responsible for establishing regulations that permit anyone to report any suspected rail safety violations.

Functions

Rails transport goods and people from and to cities in developed countries as and villages in countries that are less developed. They transport raw materials to processing and manufacturing factories, and then the final products from those facilities to stores and warehouses. Railroads are a critical form of transportation for many essential commodities, such as coal, oil and grains. In 2020, freight rail carried more than a quarter of the nation's total freight volumes [PDF(PDF).

A federal railroad operates just like any other company with departments for marketing, sales, operations and an executive department. The department for marketing and sales consults with customers and potential clients to determine what services they need and what they need to cost. The operations department then develops the rail services that satisfy those needs at the lowest cost to earn money for the railroad. The executive department supervises the entire operation and ensures that each department is running efficiently.

The government supports the railways through a variety of ways that include grants and subsidized rates for government-owned traffic. Congress also provides money to support and build new stations and tracks. These subsidy funds are often added to the revenue that railroads receive through tickets and freight contracts.

In the United States, the government is the owner of the railway for passengers, Amtrak. It is a quasi-public, for-profit corporation with a large stockholder that is the United States government.

The Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) primary task is to formulate and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This involves regulating the mechanical condition of trains as well as the health and safety of railroad employees. FRA also collects and analyzes data on rail safety to identify patterns and areas that might require more or better regulation.

FRA also works on other projects that improve the economy and safety of rail transportation in the United States. The agency, for example is working to eliminate obstacles that hinder railroads in adopting positive train control (PTC). PTC is a safety system that uses sensors and computers on board to stop a train at the moment it is too close to another vehicle or object.

History

In the 1820s-1830s the first railroads in America were built, mostly in New England and Mid-Atlantic. The railroads greatly accelerated industrialization in these areas, and also brought more food items to the market. This helped the country to become more self-sufficient and less dependent upon imports from abroad, which resulted in a solid economic base.

In the latter part of the 19th century, the railroad industry enjoyed a "Golden Age" that saw new, more efficient rail lines were constructed and passenger travel became popular. The government's efforts in expanding the railroad system were a major aspect. For example, the government gave homesteaders grants of land to encourage them to settle in the West and the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads worked together to complete the first transcontinental fela railroad accident lawyer which made it possible to travel from New York to San Francisco in six days.

In the first half century, however, the demand for passenger rail services declined, and other modes of transportation like planes and automobiles increased in popularity. In the meantime, the stifling of regulation stifled railroads' economic ability to compete. The industry was plagued by a series of bankruptcy service cuts, bankruptcy, and deferred maintenance. Misguided federal rail regulations also contributed to the decline.

Around the year 1970 the federal government started to ease the regulatory shackles on railroads. Surface Transportation Board was created to oversee economic matters such as railroad rates and mergers. The Federal Railroad Administration, which regulates freight and passenger transport and sets standards for rail safety, was also created.

Since then, the railroad infrastructure of the United States has seen a significant amount of investment. The Northeast Corridor has been rebuilt for instance, in order to allow for faster and more modern high-speed ground transportation (HSGT). There are also efforts to create more efficient freight rail. In the future, FRA hopes to continue its relationship with all transportation agencies in order to ensure reliable and safe railroads. It is the job of FRA to help make sure that the nation's transportation system operates as efficiently as possible.