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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail, provides rail funding and studies strategies for improving rail safety.

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

Members of SMART-TD and their allies made history in 2024 when they began 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 safeguard the health and safety of its employees and the general public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing safety regulations for rail. It also administers the funding for rail and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technology. It also creates, implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of the current rail infrastructure and services. It also expands and improves strategically the national rail network. The department expects all rail companies to adhere to strict rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with the tools to be successful and secure. This includes taking part in an anonymous close-call reporting system, creating labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full participation from unions and anti-retaliation clauses and providing employees with the required personal protective equipment.

FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of railway safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Civil penalties can be imposed on those who violate railroad safety laws. Safety inspectors from the agency have a broad discretion on whether an incident falls within the statutory definition of a crime that is punishable by civil penalties. In addition the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division reviews all reports received by regional offices to determine legality prior to assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the field and regional levels helps ensure that the exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is applied only in cases which truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil fine.

To be convicted of a civil infringement an employee of a railroad must know the rules and regulations that govern their actions. They also must be aware that they ignore these rules. The agency does not believe an individual who acted upon a directive from a supervisor is guilty of committing a willful crime. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire system that carries goods and passengers between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad within the steelmill isn't considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, despite the fact that it's physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations that pertain to safety and the transportation of hazardous substances. The agency manages railway finance, including loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvement. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and with industry to devise strategies to improve the nation's railroad system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the needs for capacity expansion, expanding the network strategically and coordinating regional and national system development and planning.

The agency is responsible for freight transportation but also oversees passenger transport. The agency is working to connect people to places they want and provide more choices for travel. The agency is focused primarily on improving the passenger's experience as well as enhancing the safety of its current fleet, and making sure that the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads must abide by a variety of federal employers liability regulations, including those related to the size of the crews on trains. This is controversial in recent years, with some states passing legislation to require two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies federally the minimum crew size requirements, ensuring that all railroads follow the same safety standards.

This law also requires that each railroad operating a one-person crew notify FRA and submit a risk analysis. This will allow FRA to evaluate the characteristics of each operation with the standard two-person crew operation. Additionally this rule alters the standard of review for a special approval petition from to determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining if approving the operation is safe or safer than a two-crewmember operation.

During the time of public comments for this rule, a lot of people voted for a requirement of a two person crew. In a formal letter 29 people voiced their concerns that a single crew member will not be able to respond in a timely manner to train malfunctions or incidents at grade crossings, or assist emergency response personnel at an elevated highway crossing. The commenters pointed out that human factors account for more than half railroad accidents and think that a bigger crew could help ensure the safety of the train and the cargo it transports.

Technology

Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ numerous technologies to enhance efficiency, increase security, improve safety and much more. Rail industry jargon covers a variety of unique terms and acronyms. Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems (also known as drones) and rail-inspection systems that are instrumented, driverless train rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as drones).

Technology isn't merely replacing jobs; it's helping people to do their job more efficiently and with greater security. Railroads that transport passengers use smartphones and contactless fare cards in order to increase ridership and increase the efficiency of their system. Other developments, like autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to becoming reality.

As part of its ongoing effort to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable transportation for the nation In its ongoing effort to ensure 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 project that will see bridges and tunnels rebuilt, tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations reconstructed 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 element in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it was successful in engaging, Injuries maintaining communication with and using inputs from a broad range of stakeholders. However, it needs to concentrate on how its research aids in the department's main strategic goal of ensuring safe movement of people and goods by rail.

One area in which the agency might be able to improve its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the development of automated train technology and systems. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail association that focuses on policy, research and standardization the Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to assist in the development of industry standards for implementing the technology.

The FRA is interested in the 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 will need to know the degree of risk that the industry perceives with fully automated operation, and whether the industry is considering additional measures to mitigate the risk.

Innovation

Railroads are adopting technology to boost worker safety, make business processes more efficient, and ensure that the freight they move reaches its destination intact. Examples of this technological advancement vary from the use cameras and sensors to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies enable railroads to dispatch emergency personnel directly to accident sites to minimize the danger and minimize the damage to property and people.

One of the most well-known innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC) which will prevent collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks that shouldn't be, as well as other accidents that result from human errors. The system is a three-part process consisting of onboard locomotive systems that track the train and wayside networks that connect with the locomotive, and an enormous backend server that collects and analyzes data.

Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to enhance safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to aid security staff in locating passengers and other items onboard trains in case in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also investigating other ways to use drones, such as using drones to conduct inspections of bridges and other infrastructure, for example, replacing the lights on railway towers, which could be dangerous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is another technology that can be used in railways for passengers. It is able to detect objects or people on tracks and notify drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are especially effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other issues during the evenings when traffic is less and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.

Another significant technological advance in the railway industry is telematics which enables railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to view the condition and status of a traincar by real-time tracking. Traincar crews and operators will benefit from increased accountability and transparency which will allow them increase efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays when delivering freight.