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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 studies strategies for improving rail safety.

FRA field inspectors use discretion to decide on which cases warrant the exact and time consuming civil penalty process. This ensures that the violations most deserving of punishment are punished.

SMART-TD, along with its allies, made history by 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two people should be in the locomotive cabs of freight trains. The fight continues.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to protect the health and safety of employees as well as the general public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing rail safety regulations. It also oversees the funding for rail and studies rail improvement strategies and technological developments. It also formulates the implementation and maintenance of an action plan to maintain the current rail infrastructure and services. It also develops and improves the rail network across the nation. The department requires that all rail employers adhere to strict guidelines and empower their employees, and provide them with tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes participating in the 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 needed personal protective equipment.

FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of the rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations into complaints of non-compliance. Civil penalties are imposed on those who violate the rail safety laws. The safety inspectors of the agency have a broad discretion on whether a particular violation meets the statutory definition of a civil penalty-worthy act. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also reviews all reports that regional offices submit to determine if they are legal before assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised both at the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied when they are necessary.

To be guilty of a civil violation the employee of a rail company must know the rules and regulations that govern the conduct of his or her employees. They must also be aware of and disregard these standards. The agency does not believe that a person who acts in response to a supervisor's direction has committed a willful offense. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire network that allows passengers and goods to travel within metropolitan areas and between them. The trackage of a plant railroad at a steel mill is not considered to be part of the general transportation system by rail even being physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, including those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency also manages rail financing including loans and grants for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies to improve the nation's rail system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for additional capacity and expanding the network strategically, and coordinating regional and national system's planning and development.

While most of the agency's activities are focused on freight transportation, it also oversees the transportation of passengers. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passengers and connect people with the places they want to go. The agency's primary focus is on improving the passenger's experience and enhancing the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring that the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads are required to abide with a range of federal regulations, including those that deal with the size and composition of crews on trains. This is an issue of contention in recent years, with some states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum size crew requirements, making sure that all railroads adhere to 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 assess the requirements of each operation with the standard two-person crew operation. Additionally this rule will change the review standard for the special approval petition from determining whether an 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 on this rule, many people supported the requirement for a two-person crew. A letter from 29 people outlined their concerns that a single crew member would not be as quick to respond to issues with trains or grade crossing incidents, or assist emergency responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. Commenters pointed out that human factors are responsible for a majority of railroad accidents. They believe that a larger team would ensure the safety of the train as well as its cargo.

Technology

Freight and passenger rails use various technologies to improve efficiency, increase safety, and boost security. The rail industry lingo includes many specific terms and acronyms, but some of the most notable developments include machine vision systems, instrumentsed rail inspection systems, driverless trains rolling data centers and drones that are not piloted (commonly called drones).

Technology isn't just replacing some jobs, it's also empowering people to do their job more efficiently and with greater security. Passenger railroads are using smartphone apps and contactless fare payment cards in order to boost ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations such as autonomous rail cars are coming closer to becoming reality.

As part of its ongoing effort to improve secure, reliable and affordable transportation for the entire nation The Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar effort will see tunnels, bridges tracks, power systems and tracks updated and stations being rebuilt or replaced. The FRA's rail improvements program will be greatly expanded by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central component of this effort. The most recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging in a continuous dialogue and utilizing the inputs from a range of stakeholders. It still needs to focus on how its research contributes towards the department's main goal of ensuring the safety of people and goods by railways.

One area in which the agency could be able improve its effectiveness is by identifying and assisting the advancement 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 and has created a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help develop industry standards for implementing the technology.

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

Innovation

Railroads are adopting technology to increase worker safety and make business processes more efficient and ensure that the cargo that they transport arrives at its destination intact. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight, to new railcar designs that help keep dangerous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies enable railroads to send emergency responders directly to the scene of an accident to reduce the danger and minimize the damage to people and property.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most significant 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 a three-part process consisting of onboard locomotive systems that track the train and wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and an enormous backend server that analyzes and collects data.

Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to bolster safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist security personnel in locating passengers and other items onboard trains in fela case settlements in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to use drones. They could be used to inspect 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 people or objects on tracks and notify drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are particularly effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other issues in the evenings when the traffic is lower and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.

Another important technological advancement in the rail industry is telematics which allows shippers, Federal employers railroads and other stakeholders to view the condition and status of a traincar through real-time tracking. Crews and railcar operators can benefit from greater accountability and transparency, which will help them improve efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help avoid delays when delivering freight.