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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 conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure.

FRA inspectors on the ground employ discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty process. This discretion helps ensure that the most serious violations of punishment are punished.

Members of SMART-TD and their allies made history in 2024 when they began pushing the FRA to ensure that two people are in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to protect the health and safety of employees and the public. It is responsible for creating and enforcing safety regulations for rail. It also oversees rail funding, and conducts research on improvements to rail strategies and technology. It also formulates plans, implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of current rail services and infrastructure. It also works to expand and improve the rail network across the nation. The department requires that all rail employers adhere to strict rules and empower their employees, and provide them with tools to be safe and successful. This includes taking part in a confidential close-call reporting system, creating labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective gear.

FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct hundreds of investigations into complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties may be applied to those who break rail safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have a wide discretion to determine whether an employers’ liability act fela is within the legal definition of an offense that is punishable with civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also reviews all reports submitted by regional offices to ensure that they are legal before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion both at the regional and field levels ensures that the exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is utilized only in situations which truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil fine.

A rail worker must be aware of rules and regulations that govern his or her actions and knowingly disregard those standards to commit a civil penalty-worthy offense. The agency does not consider that an individual who acts in response to a supervisor's direction is guilty of committing a willful crime. The agency defines the "general fela railroad settlements system of transportation" as the whole network that passengers and goods travel within metropolitan and city areas, or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad within a steelmill is not considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, even though it's physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible to establish regulations for train operations that pertain to safety and the transportation of dangerous substances. The agency also manages financing for rail including loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to devise strategies for improving the rail system of the United States. This includes ensuring the current rail services and infrastructure as well as in addition to addressing the need for additional capacity, strategically expanding the network, as well as coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.

The agency is responsible for freight transportation, but also oversees passenger transport. The agency aims to connect people to the places they want and provide more alternatives for travel. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience as well as enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring that the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads are required to abide with a variety of federal regulations, which include those that deal with the size and composition of crews on trains. In recent years, this issue has been a source of contention. Some states have passed legislation mandating two-person crews in trains. This final rule codifies federally the minimum crew size requirements, ensuring that all railroads follow the same safety standards.

This law also requires that each railroad that has a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will allow FRA to evaluate the characteristics of each operation to the standard two-person crew operation. In addition this rule alters the standard of review for a special approval petition from determining whether the operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether approving the operation is secure or as safe as an operation with two crew members.

During the time of public comment on this rule, a large number of people voted for a requirement of two people on the crew. A letter written by 29 people outlined their concerns that a lone crewmember could not be as quick to respond to train-related malfunctions or crossing incidents or assist emergency response personnel at a highway-rail grade crossing. The commenters emphasized that human factors account for more than half 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 different technologies to increase efficiency, improve security, and improve safety. Rail industry jargon includes a variety of specific 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 vehicle (also called drones).

Technology isn't just about replacing certain jobs. It helps people perform their jobs more effectively and with greater security. Passenger railroads are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations like autonomous rail cars are coming closer to becoming reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure secure affordable, reliable, and secure transportation in the United States, is focused on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This multi-billion dollar project will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems and tracks updated, and stations renovated or replaced. The FRA's rail improvement program will be significantly extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a crucial component in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office revealed that it excelled at engaging, maintaining communication with and using inputs from a variety of stakeholders. It must continue to be aware of how its research contributes to the department's main goal of ensuring safe movement of people and goods by rail.

The agency could increase its efficiency by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the principal industry association for the freight rail industry, which focuses on research and policy, as well as standard setting, established the Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping establish standards for the industry.

The FRA is interested in the development of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This could apply to rail transit as well as vehicles on the road. The agency will want to know the amount of risk that the industry perceives with fully automated operation, and if the industry is contemplating any additional measures to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are embracing technology to improve worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes and ensure that the cargo they transport reaches its destination in good condition. Examples of such innovation include the use of sensors and cameras to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that keep dangerous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies allow railroads to send emergency responders directly to sites of accidents to reduce the risk and damages to property and individuals.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most important innovations in rail. It is designed to keep train-to-train accidents out of the way, as well as situations when trains are in a position they shouldn't be, 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 gathers and analyzes data.

Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to improve security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist security staff in locating passengers and other items onboard trains in case in the event of an emergency. The company is also examining 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.

Smart track technology is another technology that is used in railways that transport passengers. It can detect objects or people on tracks and alert drivers if it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized or other problems in the evenings when traffic is less and there are less witnesses to an accident.

Another significant technological advance in the rail industry is telematics which allows railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to view the status and condition of a traincar by real-time tracking. Railcar operators and crews can benefit from increased accountability and transparency which will allow them to improve efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays when delivering freight.