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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 researches rail improvement strategies.
FRA field inspectors employ discretion to decide which cases warrant the exact and time consuming civil penalty process. This discretion helps ensure that the violations most deserving of punishment are punished.
Members of SMART-TD and their allies made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to ensure that two people are in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight is not over.
Safety
The Federal Railroad Administration implements a variety of safety measures to ensure the health of employees and public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing rail safety regulations. It also administers the funding for rail and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technologies. It also creates the implementation and maintenance of an action plan to maintain current rail services and infrastructure. It also develops and improves the rail network across the nation. The department expects all rail employers to abide by strict rules and regulations, empower their employees and provide them with tools to be successful and safe. This includes taking part in the secure close call reporting system, establishing occupational health and safety committees that have full union participation and anti-retaliation safeguards, and providing employees with the necessary personal protection equipment.
Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail regulations and laws. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations into complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties are handed out to those who violate rail safety laws. Safety inspectors from the agency are able to decide on the extent to which an individual violation is in line with the statutory description of a criminal penalty-worthy act. The Office of Chief Counsel’s safety division also scrutinizes all reports that regional offices submit to ensure that they are legal prior to imposing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the field and regional levels ensures that the lengthy, time-consuming civil penalty process is utilized only in those situations that truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil fine.
A rail employee must be aware of rules and regulations that govern their actions and be aware of the standards to commit a civil penalty-worthy offense. The agency does not believe that an individual who acts on a supervisor's directive has committed a willful offense. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire system that transports passengers and goods within and between metropolitan areas and cities. A plant railroad's trackage in a steel mill is not considered to be part of the general rail system of transportation, even though it is physically connected to it.
Regulation
The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, including those pertaining to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency also oversees rail financing, including grants and loans for infrastructure and improvements to service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and with industry to develop strategies for improving the nation's railroad system. This includes ensuring the existing rail infrastructure and services and making sure that there is enough capacity, strategically expanding the network and coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.
While most of the agency's work focuses on freight transportation, it also handles passenger transportation. The agency is working to provide more options for passenger travel and connect people to the places they would like to travel to. The agency is focused on enhancing the passenger experience as well as improving the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring the rail network is operating efficiently.
Railroads must comply with a variety of federal regulations, which include the ones pertaining to the size and composition of crews on trains. In recent times, this issue has become controversial. Certain states have passed legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. The final rule codifies the minimum size of crew requirements at the federal level, making sure that all railroads are subject to consistent safety standards.
fela law firm requires that each railroad that has a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will allow FRA to better understand the specifics of each operation and compare them with the standard two-person crew operation. This rule also changes the standard for reviewing an approval request that is a special case from determining whether an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is as secure or more secure than a two-person crew operation.
During the public comment period for this rule, a large number of people expressed support for the requirement of a two-person crew. A form letter sent by 29 individuals emphasized their concerns that a single crew member might 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 pointed out 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
Trains for passenger and freight use a variety of technologies to increase efficiency, improve safety, and boost security. Rail industry jargon includes many distinct terms and acronyms. Some of the most well-known include machine vision systems (also known as drones) instruments for rail-inspection systems driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as drones).
Technology isn't merely replacing jobs, it's also empowering individuals to perform their work more effectively and safely. Passenger railroads are using smartphone apps and contactless fare payment cards in order to boost ridership and make the system more efficient. Other innovations, such as autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to becoming a reality.
The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote safe reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in the United States is focusing on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollars effort that will see tunnels and bridges rebuilt, tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations rebuilt or upgraded. FRA's recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically grow the agency's rail improvement programs.
The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a key element in this effort. The National Academies' recent review of the office revealed that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communications with inputs from a broad range of stakeholders. But it still needs to be more focused on how its research contributes to the department's primary objective of ensuring the safe transportation of goods and people by railway.
The agency could enhance its effectiveness by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads, the freight rail industry's primary association that focuses on research, policy and standardization, 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 for automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This could be applicable to both rail transit and vehicles on the road. The agency would like to know the degree of risk that the industry is assessing with fully automated operation, and if the industry is contemplating any additional measures to mitigate that risk.
Innovation
Rail companies are adopting new technologies to improve worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes and ensure that the freight they transport reaches its destination in good condition. These innovations vary from cameras and sensors that monitor freight, to new railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transportation. Some of these technologies allow railroads to send emergency responders directly to sites of accidents to reduce the risk and damage to people and property.
Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most important innovations in rail. It is designed to stop train-to-train accidents, instances when trains are in a position they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human errors. The system is comprised of three components: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive; and a massive server that gathers and analyzes data.
Passenger railroads also embrace technology to enhance security and safety. Amtrak is one example. It is testing the use of drones to assist train security personnel locate passengers and other items in an emergency. The company is also exploring ways to make use of drones. They could be used to inspect bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lighting on railway towers, which are dangerous for workers to climb.
Other technologies that can be utilized for railways for passengers include smart track technology, which is able to detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and send out a warning to drivers if it's unsafe to travel. These technologies are particularly effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other problems in the evenings, when traffic is low and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.
Telematics is a significant technological advance in the railway industry. It lets railways, shippers, and other stakeholders, to track a traincar in real-time. These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews greater control and visibility. They can also assist them in improving efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays in the delivery of freight to customers.
