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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 researches rail improvement strategies.

FRA field inspectors make use of discretion to decide which cases merit the precise and time consuming civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that the violations most deserving of punishment are punished.

SMART-TD, along with its allies, made history in 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two people should be in the cabs of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to ensure the health of employees and public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also manages the funding for rail and conducts research on improvements to rail strategies and technologies. It also develops and implements a plan to maintain current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically develops and enhances the national rail network. The department requires all railroad employers to adhere to the strictest rules and regulations, lawsuit and empower their employees and provide them with tools to be successful and secure. This includes participating in the confidential close call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational health and safety committees that have full participation from unions and anti-retaliation protections and providing employees with personal protection equipment.

FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of the rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations of complaints of non-compliance. Civil penalties are imposed on those who violate railroad safety laws. Safety inspectors from the agency have a broad discretion to determine if a violation falls under the statutory definition of an act punishable by civil penalties. Additionally the Office of Chief Counsel's security division reviews all reports that are received by regional offices to determine legal sufficiency before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the field and regional levels ensures that the time-consuming, costly civil penalty process is utilized only in situations which truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty.

A rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern their actions and knowingly disregard those guidelines to be guilty of a civil penalty-worthy offence. The agency doesn't consider that an individual who acts upon a directive from a supervisor is guilty of committing a willful crime. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire system that transports passengers and goods between cities and metropolitan areas. The trackage of a plant railroad 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 pertaining to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency also manages rail financing, including grants and loans for infrastructure and improvements to service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to develop strategies to improve the rail system of the United States. This includes maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for additional capacity, expanding the network strategically, and coordinating regional and national system's development and planning.

While the majority of the agency's work is focused on freight transportation, it also oversees passenger transportation. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passenger travel and connect people with the places they want to go. The agency is focused on improving the experience for passengers, improving the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring that the rail network continues to operate efficiently.

Railroads must abide by a variety of federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of the crews on trains. In recent times this issue has become controversial. Some states have passed legislation requiring two-person crews on trains. This final rule outlines the minimum requirements for crew size at an international level, and ensures that all railroads are subject to consistent safety standards.

This rule also requires that each railroad operating with a crew of one notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will allow FRA to better understand the specific parameters of each operation and compare them to the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. Additionally, this rule changes the review standard for a special approval petition from determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether the operation would be as safer or more secure than an operation with two crew members.

During the period of public comment for this rule, a number of people voted for a requirement of two people on the crew. A letter from 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member would not be as quick to respond to train-related malfunctions or crossing incidents or assist emergency response personnel at a highway rail grade crossing. Commenters noted that human factor are responsible for a majority of railroad accidents. They believe that a larger crew will ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.

Technology

Freight and passenger railroads employ numerous technologies to improve efficiency, increase security, improve safety and much more. Rail industry jargon includes many unique terms and acronyms. Some of the most well-known include machine vision systems (also called drones), instrumented rail-inspection systems driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as drones).

Technology isn't just replacing some jobs -- it's empowering people to perform their jobs more efficiently and with greater security. Railroads for passengers use apps on smartphones and contactless fare cards to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of their system. Other innovations like autonomous rail cars are coming closer to becoming reality.

As part of its ongoing effort to ensure safe, reliable and affordable transportation options for the country In its ongoing effort to ensure safe, reliable and affordable transportation for the nation, the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar effort will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems and tracks updated, and stations rebuilt or replace. The FRA's rail improvement program will be greatly increased by the recently approved bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a crucial part of this initiative. Recent National Academies review of the office found it excelled at engaging with, maintaining communication and utilizing inputs of a wide range of stakeholders. It is still required to consider how its research contributes towards the department's primary goal of ensuring the safety of goods and people by rail.

The agency could increase its effectiveness by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail industry organization that focuses on policy, research and standardization, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help in developing industry standards to implement the technology.

FRA will be interested in the group's creation of an automated rail taxonomy. It is a system of standards to clearly and consistently define different levels of automation that will be applicable to both rail and on-road transit vehicles. The agency will also need to understand the level of risk to safety that the industry sees when implementing a fully automated system and whether or not the industry is considering adding additional protections to minimize the risk.

Innovation

Railroads are adopting technology to increase worker safety and make business processes more efficient and help ensure that the freight that they transport arrives at its destination in good condition. These innovations vary from cameras and sensors that monitor freight to new railcar designs that help keep dangerous cargo safe during transit. Some of these technologies allow railroads to dispatch emergency responders directly to the scene of an accident to minimize the danger and minimize the damages to property and individuals.

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

Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to improve security and safety. Amtrak, for example, is experimenting with drones to help train security personnel locate passengers and other items in an emergency. Amtrak is also investigating other possibilities to utilize drones, for instance, using drones to inspect bridges and other infrastructure, for example, replacing the lights on railway towers, which could be hazardous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is a different technology that can be utilized in railways that transport passengers. It can detect objects or people on tracks and warn drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These kinds of technology are especially beneficial in detecting unsafe crossings and other issues during off-hours, when traffic volumes are lowest and there are fewer people around to witness an accident.

Telematics is another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry. It allows railways, shippers and other stakeholders, to track a traincar in real-time. Crews and railcar operators will benefit from increased accountability and visibility which will allow them to improve efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays when delivering freight.