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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations, provides rail funding and conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure.

FRA field inspectors make use of discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the precise and time consuming civil penalty process. This helps ensure that the most serious violations are punished.

SMART-TD, along with its allies, made history in 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be allowed 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 its employees and the general public. It is responsible for establishing and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also oversees rail funding, and conducts research on improvements to rail strategies and technologies. It also formulates and implements a plan to ensure the current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically expands and enhances the national rail network. The department requires all railroad employers to adhere to the strictest rules and regulations, empower their employees and provide them with tools to succeed and stay safe. This includes participating in the confidential close call reporting system, establishing occupational health and safety committees with full union participation, as well as protection against retaliation and providing employees with personal protection equipment.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the leading edge of enforcing rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct hundreds of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties can be applied to those who break the rail safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have a wide discretion to determine whether violations fall within the statutory definition of an act punishable by civil penalties. In addition, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety department examines all reports submitted by regional offices for legality before determining penalties. This discretion is exercised at both the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied in situations that warrant them.

Rail employees must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions, and not knowingly violate those rules to commit a criminal offense that is punishable by a civil penalty. However the agency doesn't consider any individual who follows a directive from a supervisor to have committed an intentional violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire network that passengers and goods travel within metropolitan and city areas or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in a steel mill is not considered to be part of the general transportation system that trains, even being physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible to establish regulations for train operations including those related to safety and the transportation of dangerous substances. The agency oversees railway finance, including loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvement. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies for improving the nation's railroad system. This work includes maintaining current rail infrastructure and services, 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 manages passenger transportation. The agency is working to offer more options for passenger travel and connect people to the places they want to go. The agency is focused primarily on improving the passenger's experience, enhancing safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring that the rail network continues operating efficiently.

Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of the crews on trains. This issue has become an issue of contention in recent years, with several states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. The 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 every railroad injury fela lawyer operating with a crew of one notify FRA and submit a risk analysis. 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 review standard for a special approval petition from determining whether the operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining if approving the operation would be as safe or safer than an operation with two crew members.

During the public comment period for this rule, a lot of people expressed support for the requirement of a two-person crew. In a form letter, 29 people expressed their concern that a single crewmember will not be in a position to respond in a timely manner to train accidents or malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency response personnel on a highway-rail level crossing. Commenters pointed out that human factors are responsible for more than half all railroad accidents. They believe that a bigger crew will ensure the safety of the train as well as its cargo.

Technology

Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ various technologies to improve efficiency, add safety, boost security and much more. Rail industry jargon covers a variety of specific terms and acronyms. Some of the most well-known include machine vision systems (also known as drones) instruments for rail-inspection systems, driverless train rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicle (also called drones).

Technology isn't just about replacing certain jobs. It helps people do their jobs better and safer. Railroads for passengers use apps on smartphones and contactless fare cards in order to increase ridership and increase the efficiency of their system. Other developments like autonomous rail cars are getting closer to reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve secure affordable, reliable, and secure transportation in the United States, is focused on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollar project that will see tunnels and bridges rebuilt tracks, power systems and tracks upgraded, and stations rebuilt or replaced. The 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 central component of 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 range 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 goods and people by rail.

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

FRA is interested in the development of an automated rail taxonomy, which is a standard that will clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that will be applicable to both rail and on-road transit vehicles. The agency will need to know the degree of risk that the industry sees in fully automated operation, and whether the industry is considering any additional measures to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are adopting technology to improve worker safety, increase efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the cargo they transport arrives at its destination intact. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight to innovative railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Some of these technologies enable railroads to dispatch emergency personnel directly to the scene of an accident to minimize the risk and damage to people and property.

One of the most prominent innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC) which will prevent collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks they shouldn't be, and other accidents that result from human mistakes. It is a three-part process consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train and wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a huge backend server that analyzes and collects data.

Trains for passengers are also adopting technology to bolster safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to aid security personnel in locating passengers and other items aboard trains in case in the event of an emergency. The company is also examining ways to utilize drones. They could be used to examine bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lights on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb.

Other technologies that could be utilized for railways for passengers include smart track technology, which can detect the presence of people or objects on the tracks and send drivers with a warning if it's unsafe to travel. These types of technologies can be particularly valuable for detecting unauthorized crossings and other issues in the off-hours, when traffic levels are lower and fewer people are around to witness an accident.

Another important technological advancement in the rail industry is telematics, which allows railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to monitor the condition and status of a traincar through real-time tracking. Traincar crews and operators can benefit from greater accountability and visibility which will allow them improve efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help delay in the delivery of freight.