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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 use discretion to decide which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty process. This discretion helps to ensure that the most serious violations are penalized.

SMART-TD members and allies have made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to allow two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to ensure the health and welfare of its employees and the general public. It is responsible for creating and enforcing rail safety regulations. It also oversees rail funding and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technology. It also formulates and implements a plan to ensure the current infrastructure, rail services and capacity and strategically expands and enhances the national rail network. The department requires all railroad employers to adhere to strict rules and regulations, 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, establishing labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective equipment.

FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations of complaints of non-compliance. Civil penalties may be handed out to those who violate fela claims railroad employees safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have a broad decision-making power to determine if a violation falls under the definition provided by law of an act that is punishable by civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel’s safety division also reviews all reports that regional offices submit to determine if 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 in cases that warrant their use.

A rail employee must be aware of rules and regulations that govern their actions, and not knowingly violate those rules to commit a criminal offense that is punishable by a civil penalty. However, the agency does not take any person who follows a directive from a supervisor to have committed a willful violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system that passengers and goods travel within cities and metropolitan areas and between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in the steel mill is not considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, even though it's physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, including those pertaining to safety and movement of hazardous materials. The agency is responsible for managing rail finance, including grants and loan for service and infrastructure improvement. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies for improving the nation's rail infrastructure. This includes ensuring the current rail services and infrastructure, addressing the need for new capacity strategically expanding the network and coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.

Although the majority of the agency's work focuses on freight transportation, it also manages the transportation of passengers. The agency aims to connect people to the destinations they desire and offer more choices for travel. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience and improving the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring the railway system continues to function efficiently.

Railroads are required to abide with a number of federal regulations, which include the ones pertaining to the size and composition of train crews. This is controversial in recent years, with a few states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum size of crew requirements, making sure that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.

This rule also requires each railroad that operates one-person train crews to inform FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will enable FRA to evaluate the characteristics of each operation to the standard two-person crew operation. Additionally this rule will change the standard of review for the special approval petition from determining whether the operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining if approving the operation is secure or as safe as a two-crewmember operation.

During the public comment period on this rule, a lot of people expressed support for the requirement for a two-person crew. In a letter to the editor 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member will not be able to respond in a timely manner to incidents or train malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency response personnel on an elevated highway crossing. Commenters noted that human factor are responsible for more than half all railroad accidents. They believe that a bigger crew would ensure the security of the train as well as its cargo.

Technology

Trains for passenger and freight use different technologies to increase efficiency, increase security, Fela Lawsuit Settlements and improve safety. The rail industry lingo includes many distinct terms and acronyms however, some of the most notable developments include machines-vision systems, instrumented rail inspection systems, driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly called drones).

Technology isn't just replacing some jobs; it's helping individuals to perform their work better and safer. 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 vehicles, are moving closer to becoming a reality.

As part of its ongoing efforts to improve safe, reliable and affordable transportation for the nation The Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollar effort that will see bridges and tunnels restored as well as tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations rebuilt or upgraded. The FRA's rail improvement program will be significantly extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a key piece in this initiative. The most recent National Academies review of the office found it excelled at engaging in a continuous dialogue and utilizing the inputs from a variety of stakeholders. But it still needs to concentrate on how its research aids in the department's main strategic goal of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods via rail.

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

The FRA is interested in the group’s development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This could apply to both rail transit and vehicles on the road. The agency will also be looking to know the level of safety risk that the industry sees when implementing a fully automated system and whether or not the industry is considering adding additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Railroads are adopting technology to boost worker safety, make business processes more efficient, and ensure that the cargo it transports arrives at its destination in good condition. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight to new railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies allow railroads dispatch emergency personnel directly to accident sites to minimize the risk and minimize damage to people and property.

One of the most renowned innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC) which will prevent collisions between trains and train, situations where trains are on tracks where they shouldn't be, as well as other accidents that result from human mistakes. This system consists 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.

Railroads that transport passengers also use technology to enhance safety and security. Amtrak for instance, is experimenting with the use of drones to assist security personnel on trains locate passengers and items in the event of an emergency. The company is also looking into other ways to use drones, for instance, using drones to conduct inspections of bridges and other infrastructure such as replacing the lights on railway towers that could be dangerous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is another technology that is used in railways that transport passengers. It is able to detect objects or people on tracks and notify drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These types of technology are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized and other issues during off-hours, when traffic levels are lower and there are fewer people to witness an accident.

Another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry is telematics which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to view the condition and status of a traincar via real-time tracking. Such capabilities give railcar operators and their crews more accountability and visibility and can assist them in improving efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays in delivering freight to customers.