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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

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

FRA field inspectors make use of discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the precise and time-consuming civil penalty process. This ensures that those violations most deserving of punishment are punished.

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

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a range of safety measures in place to safeguard the health and safety of employees and the public. It formulates and enforces regulations for rail safety and oversees the funding for rail. It also researches rail improvement strategies and technology. It also formulates the implementation and maintenance of plans for the maintenance of the current infrastructure and services for rail. It also expands and improves strategically the national rail network. The department demands that all rail companies adhere to strict rules, empower their employees and provide them with tools to be safe and successful. This includes taking part in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees, with full participation from unions and anti-retaliation clauses and providing employees with the needed personal protective equipment.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail laws and regulations. They perform routine inspections on equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Civil penalties are handed out to those who violate rail safety laws. The safety inspectors of the agency have broad discretion over whether an individual violation is in line with the statutory description of a criminal penalty-worthy liability act fela. The Office of Chief Counsel’s safety division also scrutinizes all reports submitted by regional offices to ensure that they are legal before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the field and regional levels helps ensure that the exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is applied only in those situations that truly warrant the deterrent impact of a civil penalty.

Rail employees must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern their actions and be aware of the rules to commit a civil penalty-worthy offense. The agency does not believe that an individual who acts on a supervisor's directive is guilty of committing a willful crime. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the whole network that transports passengers and goods within and between cities and metropolitan areas. The trackage of a plant railroad within the steel mill is not considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, despite the fact that it is physically connected.

Regulation

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

The agency is responsible for freight transport, but also manages passenger transportation. The agency is trying to connect people to places they want and provide more choices for travel. The agency's focus is on improving the passenger's experience and enhancing the safety of the existing fleet and ensuring the rail network continues operating efficiently.

Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, including those related to the size of crews on trains. This issue has become an issue of contention in recent years, with a few states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. The final rule codifies the minimum requirements for crew size at an international level, and ensures that all railroads are subject to the same safety standards.

This rule also requires each railroad that operates a one-person train crew to inform FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will allow FRA to better understand the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with the parameters of a typical two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the criteria for reviewing a special approval request from determining if 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 public comment period for this rule, a large number of people expressed support for the requirement of a two-person crew. In a form letter 29 people expressed their concern that a single member of the crew will not be capable of responding with the speed required to respond to train accidents or malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency personnel on a highway-rail level crossing. Commenters noted that human factor are responsible for a majority of railroad accidents. They believe that a larger team will ensure the security of the train as well as its cargo.

Technology

Freight and passenger railroads employ a wide array of technologies to improve efficiency, increase security, increase safety and more. The rail industry vernacular includes a variety of distinct terms and acronyms however, some of the most notable innovations include machines-vision systems, instrumented rail inspection systems, driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly known as drones).

Technology isn't only able to replace certain jobs. It allows people to perform their jobs more effectively and more safely. Railroads that transport passengers use smartphones and contactless fare cards in order to increase passengership and boost the efficiency of their system. Other innovations such as autonomous rail cars are getting closer to becoming reality.

As part of its ongoing efforts to advance secure, reliable and affordable transportation for the nation The Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion-dollar initiative that will see bridges and tunnels repaired as well as tracks and power systems upgraded and stations rebuilt or upgraded. FRA's recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically expand the agency's rail improvements programs.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key element in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office found that it excelled in keeping in touch with and using inputs from a broad range of stakeholders. It still needs to be aware of how its research contributes towards the department's primary goal of ensuring safe movement of goods and people by railways.

One area where the agency may be able improve its effectiveness is in identifying and assisting the development of automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the freight rail industry's primary industry organization that focuses on policy, research and standard-setting and has created a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help in developing industry standards to implement the technology.

The FRA is interested in the group's development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles, a system that 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 need to understand the level of risk to safety that the industry believes is associated when implementing a fully automated system and whether the industry is contemplating additional protections to minimize the risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are embracing technology to enhance worker safety, boost efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the freight they transport reaches its destination in good condition. Examples of such innovation vary from the use sensors and cameras to keep track of freight, and to new railcar designs that keep dangerous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies offer railroads the ability to dispatch emergency personnel to areas of accidents so that they can swiftly mitigate damage and minimize risk to property and lives.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most important innovations in rail. It can prevent train-to-train accidents, situations where trains are on track they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human errors. This system consists of three parts: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive; and a huge server that gathers and analyzes data.

Railroads that transport passengers also use technology to enhance security and safety. Amtrak, for example, is experimenting with drones in order to help train security staff locate passengers and other items in an emergency. Amtrak is also investigating different ways to use drones, for instance, using drones to inspect bridges and other infrastructure for example, replacing the lighting on railway towers, which can be hazardous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is another technology that is used in railways for passengers. It can detect people or objects on tracks and alert motorists that it is not safe to continue. These technologies are particularly useful for detecting unauthorized crossings or other issues during the evenings, when traffic is low and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.

Another significant technological advance in the railway industry is telematics which allows railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to see the status and condition of a traincar by real-time tracking. Railcar operators and crews can benefit from increased accountability and visibility which will allow them improve efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help delay in the delivery of freight.