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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

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

FRA field inspectors employ discretion to determine which cases warrant the exact and time-consuming civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that those violations most deserving of punishment are punished.

SMART-TD and its allies created history in 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two people should be allowed in the cabs of freight trains. The fight continues.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to ensure the health of employees as well as the public. It is responsible for establishing and enforcing rail safety regulations. It also oversees rail funding and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technological developments. It also formulates and implements a plan to ensure the current infrastructure, services, and capacity, and strategically expands and enhances the national rail network. The department requires all rail employers to abide by strict rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with the tools to succeed and stay secure. 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 conduct routine inspections of equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Civil penalties may be applied to those who break rail safety laws. The safety inspectors of the agency are able to decide on the extent to which an incident falls within the legal definition of a crime that is punishable by civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel’s safety division also scrutinizes the reports submitted by regional offices to ensure that they are legal prior to imposing penalties. This discretion is exercised at the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied when they are necessary.

To be guilty of a civil violation the employee of a rail company must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions. They must also be aware of and ignore these rules. The agency does not consider that a person who acts in response to a supervisor's direction has committed a willful offence. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the whole network that allows passengers and goods to travel within metropolitan and city areas or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in a steelmill 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 is responsible for establishing regulations for trains including those related to safety and the transportation of dangerous substances. The agency also manages rail financing, including grants and loans for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency works with other DOT agencies and the industry to devise strategies to improve the nation's railway system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for additional capacity, expanding the network strategically, as well as coordinating the national and regional system development and planning.

The agency is responsible for freight transport, but also supervises passenger transportation. The agency is working to connect people to the places they'd like to visit and offer more choices for travel. The agency is focused on enhancing the passenger experience as well as enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads are required to abide with a range of federal regulations, including those relating to the size and composition of the train crews. In recent times the issue has become a source of controversy. Certain states have passed legislation mandating two-person crews in trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum crew size requirements, making sure that all railroads follow the same safety standards.

This rule also requires that every railroad operating with a crew of one notify FRA and submit a risk analysis. This will allow FRA to compare the parameters of each operation with the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the criteria for reviewing a special approval request from determining whether an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety to determining if the operation is as secure or less risky than a two-person crew operations.

During the public comment period on this rule, many people expressed support for a two-person crew requirement. A form letter sent by 29 people outlined their concerns that a lone crewmember could not be as quick to respond to train malfunctions or grade crossing incidents or assist emergency response personnel at a highway-rail grade crossing. The commenters noted that human factors account for more than half of railroad accidents and believe that a larger crew would help ensure the safety of the train and the cargo it transports.

Technology

Freight and passenger railroads employ various technologies to improve efficiency, improve security, improve safety and more. The rail industry lingo includes many distinct terms and acronyms however, some of the most notable developments include machine vision systems, instrumentsed rail inspection systems, driverless trains rolling data centers and drones that are not piloted (commonly known as drones).

Technology isn't just replacing some jobs, it's also empowering individuals to perform their work more effectively and safely. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and make the system more efficient. Other innovations like autonomous rail cars are getting closer to reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote secure, reliable, and affordable transportation in the United States, is focused on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollar initiative that will see tunnels and bridges restored tracks, power systems and tracks upgraded, and stations reconstructed or upgraded. FRA's recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will significantly expand the agency's rail improvements programs.

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

The agency could improve its efficiency by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the freight rail industry's primary association that focuses on policy, research and standard setting the Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to assist in the development of industry standards for implementing the technology.

FRA will be interested in the group's development of an automated rail taxonomy, which is a standardization system that can clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that would be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency would like to know the degree of risk that the industry sees in fully automated operation, and whether the industry is contemplating any additional safeguards to minimize that risk.

Innovation

Railroads are embracing technology to improve worker safety and improve business processes. efficient and ensure that the cargo they move reaches its destination intact. These innovations vary from cameras and sensors that monitor freight to innovative railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transport. Some of these technologies provide a way for railroads to dispatch emergency personnel to areas of accidents so that they can swiftly mitigate damage and reduce the risk to people and property.

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

Trains for passengers are also adopting technology to improve safety and security. Amtrak for instance, is testing the use of drones in order to help train security personnel find passengers and other items in an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to use drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lights on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb.

Other technologies that can be utilized for passenger railroads include smart track technology, which can detect the presence of people or objects on the tracks and send an alert to drivers when it's unsafe for them to proceed. These types of technologies are particularly beneficial in detecting unsafe crossings and other issues during times when traffic volumes are lowest and fewer people are around to witness an accident.

Another important technological advancement in the rail industry is telematics which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to view the status and condition of a traincar via real-time tracking. These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews better control and visibility. They can also assist them in improving efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays in the delivery of freight to customers.