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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for the safety of rail, regulations and enforcement, as well as funding for rail, and research on improving rail 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 penalized.

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

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a range of safety measures in place to safeguard the health and welfare of employees as well as the general public. It is responsible for creating and enforcing rail safety regulations. It also manages rail funding and studies rail improvement strategies and technological developments. It also creates, implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of the current rail infrastructure and services. It also expands and improves strategically the rail network across the nation. The department expects all rail companies to adhere to strict rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with tools needed to be successful and secure. This includes taking part in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and giving employees the necessary personal protective equipment.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing rail safety laws and regulations. fela lawsuit settlements conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations into complaints of noncompliance. Those who violate the safety rules for rail can be subject to civil penalties. The safety inspectors of the agency are able to decide on the extent to which a particular violation meets the legal definition of a criminal penalty-worthy act. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also examines all reports that regional offices submit to ensure that they are legal prior to imposing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the regional and field levels ensures that the lengthy, time-consuming civil penalty process is applied only in cases that truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty.

To be considered guilty of a civil infringement, a rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern the conduct of his or her employees. They must also knowingly disregard these standards. The agency does not believe that a person who acts on a supervisor's directive is guilty of committing a willful crime. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire network that allows passengers and goods to travel within metropolitan areas, or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad at the steel mill isn't considered part of the general rail system of transportation, even though it is physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, ranging from those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency also manages financing for rail which includes loans and grants for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and with industry to develop strategies to improve the country's railroad system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, responding to the demands for additional capacity, expanding the network strategically as well as coordinating the regional and national system's development and planning.

The agency is responsible for freight transportation but also supervises passenger transportation. The agency aims to connect people to the places they'd like to visit and offer 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 continues to operate efficiently.

Railroads must abide by a variety of federal regulations, relating to the size of crews on trains. This is an issue of contention in recent years, with a few states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies the minimum size of crew requirements at a federal level, ensuring that all railroads are subject to the same safety standards.

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

During the public comment period for this rule, a lot of people supported the requirement for a two-person crew. A letter written by 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member might not be as quick to respond to issues with trains or grade crossing incidents, or assist emergency response personnel at a highway-rail grade crossing. The commenters pointed out that human factors account for more than half all railroad accidents and they believe that a larger team will ensure the safety of both the train and its cargo.

Technology

Freight and passenger rails use a variety of technologies to improve efficiency, enhance security, and improve safety. The rail industry lingo contains a myriad of unique terms and acronyms, but some of the more notable innovations include machine vision systems, instrumentsed rail inspection systems, driverless trains, rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly called drones).

Technology isn't only able to replace certain jobs. It empowers people to perform their jobs better and safer. Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards to boost ridership and improve the efficiency of their system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to becoming a reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote safe affordable, reliable, and secure transportation in America, is focused on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar effort will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems and tracks upgraded and stations renovated or replaced. FRA's recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will significantly increase the agency's rail improvement programs.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is an essential component in this effort. The National Academies' recent review of the office revealed that it was successful in keeping in touch with and using inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. It is still required to be aware of how its research contributes to the department's main goal of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people by railways.

The agency could enhance its efficiency by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR), the primary industry association for the freight rail industry that is focused on research, policy and standard setting and has established the Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations in order to help establish standards for the industry.

FRA will be interested in the group's development of an automated rail taxonomy, which is a system of standards to clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that will be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will also be looking to understand the level of risk to safety that the industry believes is associated with implementing fully automated operation and whether or not the industry is contemplating additional protections to minimize the risk.

Innovation





Rail companies are embracing technology to enhance worker safety, increase efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the cargo they transport arrives at its destination intact. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight to innovative railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transportation. Certain of these technologies allow railroads to dispatch emergency personnel directly to the scene of an accident to minimize risk and damage to property and people.

One of the most renowned innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC), which will inhibit collisions between trains and train, situations where trains are on tracks they shouldn't be, as well as other accidents that result from human mistakes. This system is made up of three parts: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive and a massive server that analyzes and collects data.

Passenger railroads also embrace technology to enhance safety and security. Amtrak is one example. It is testing the use of drones to assist security personnel on trains locate passengers and items in an emergency. The company is also examining ways to make use of drones. They could be used to examine bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is another technology that is used in railways that transport passengers. It is able to detect people or objects on tracks and alert motorists that it is not safe to continue. These technologies are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized or other issues in the evenings, when traffic is low and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.

Another important technological advancement in the rail industry is telematics, which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to monitor the condition and status of a traincar via real-time tracking. Such capabilities give railcar operators and crews better accountability and transparency and aid in improving efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in delivering freight to customers.