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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail The Federal Railroad Administration also provides funding for rail and researches rail improvement strategies.

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

Allies and members of SMART-TD have made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to ensure that two people are in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight continues.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration implements a variety of safety measures to protect the health of employees as well as the public. It is responsible for creating and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also manages the funding for rail and conducts research on improvements to rail strategies and technology. It also creates and implements a strategy to ensure the current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically expands and improves the nation's rail network. The department requires that all rail employers adhere to strict rules and empower their employees, and provide them with the tools to be secure and productive. This includes participation in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational health and safety committees, with full participation from unions and anti-retaliation safeguards, and providing employees with needed personal safety equipment.

FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of railway safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations into complaints of non-compliance. Those who violate the rail safety laws could be punished with civil penalties. The safety inspectors of the agency are able to decide on the extent to which an individual violation is in line with the legal definition of a civil penalty-worthy act. In addition the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division reviews all reports received by regional offices for legal sufficiency before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the field and regional levels ensures that the exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is used only in situations that truly warrant the deterrent impact of a civil penalty.

To be guilty of a civil infringement the employee of a rail company must be aware of the rules and regulations governing the conduct of his or her employees. They also must be aware that they ignore these rules. However, the agency does not take any person who follows a directive from a supervisor as having committed a willful violation. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the whole network that transports passengers and goods 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's physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations including those related to safety and the movement of hazardous substances. The agency manages railway finance, including grants and loan for service and infrastructure improvement. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies to improve the rail system of the United States. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services as well as making sure that there is enough capacity, strategically expanding the network and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development.

The agency is responsible for freight transportation, but also manages passenger transportation. The agency is working to connect people to the places they'd like to visit and offer more alternatives for travel. The agency's focus is on improving the experience of passengers as well as enhancing the safety of its existing fleet, and ensuring that the rail system continues to operate efficiently.

Railroads must comply with many federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of crews on trains. In recent years this issue has become a source of controversy. Some states have passed legislation requiring two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies the minimum requirements for crew size at a federal level, ensuring that all railroads are held to the same safety standards.

This rule also requires each fela railroad accident lawyer that has a one-person train crew to inform FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will allow FRA to evaluate the characteristics of each operation with those of a two-person standard crew operation. This rule also alters the review standard of a special approval request from determining if an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is safer or less risky than a two-person crew operation.

During the time of public comment for this rule, a number of people expressed their support for a requirement of a two person crew. A letter from 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member might not be as quick to respond to train-related malfunctions or crossing incidents or assist emergency responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. The commenters noted that human factors are responsible for more than half of railroad accidents, and they believe that a larger team will ensure the safety of the train and the cargo it transports.

Technology

Freight and passenger rails employ a variety of technologies to improve efficiency, improve security, and improve safety. The rail industry vernacular contains a myriad of specific terms and acronyms, however, some of the most notable developments include machine vision systems, instrumentsed rail inspection systems, driverless trains rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly known as drones).

Technology isn't merely replacing jobs, it's also empowering individuals to perform their work more effectively and safely. Railroads that transport passengers use smartphones and contactless fare cards in order to increase ridership and increase the efficiency of their system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote safe reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in America is focusing on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This multi-billion dollar project will see tunnels, bridges tracks, power systems, and tracks updated and stations rebuilt or employers’ Liability Act fela replace. FRA's recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will substantially grow the agency's rail improvement programs.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key component in this effort. The most recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging in a continuous dialogue and utilizing the inputs from a range of stakeholders. However, it needs to focus more on how its research aids in the department's main strategic goal of ensuring safe movement of goods and people via rail.

One area where the agency might be able to improve its effectiveness is by identifying and assisting the development of automated train technology and systems. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the main industry association for the freight rail industry that focuses on research policy, standard-setting and policy, established the Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping create standards within the industry.

FRA is likely to be interested in the group's development of an automated rail taxonomy, a standardization system that can clearly and consistently define different levels of automation that would be applicable to both rail and on-road transit vehicles. The agency will also want to know the level of safety risk that the industry believes is associated with the introduction of fully automated operation and whether or not the industry is considering adding additional protections to minimize the risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are adopting technology to improve worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the cargo they transport is delivered intact. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight, to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transportation. Certain of these technologies enable railroads to send emergency responders directly to accident sites to minimize the danger and minimize the damage to people and property.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most important innovations in rail. It can stop train-to-train accidents, instances where trains are on track they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human errors. This system is made up of three parts consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive; and a huge server that collects and analyses data.

Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to improve security and safety. Amtrak is one example. It is experimenting with drones to help train security personnel locate passengers and other items in an emergency. Amtrak is also investigating different ways to use drones, such as using them to perform inspections of bridges as well as other infrastructure, such as replacing the lights on railway towers that could be hazardous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is a different technology that can be utilized in passenger railroads. It is able to detect people or objects on tracks and alert motorists that it is not safe to continue. These types of technologies are particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized and other issues during off-hours, when traffic levels are lower and fewer people are around to witness an accident.

Telematics is another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry. It allows railways, shippers and other parties to monitor a traincar in real-time. Railcar operators and crews can benefit from greater accountability and transparency which can help them to improve efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and delay in the delivery of freight.