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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 conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure.

FRA inspectors on the ground use discretion to determine which cases merit the time-consuming and precise civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that the most serious violations are penalized.

SMART-TD members and allies have made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to ensure that two people are in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to safeguard the health of employees as well as the public. It formulates and enforces rail safety regulations and oversees the funding for rail. It also researches rail improvement strategies and technologies. It also formulates the implementation and maintenance of a plan for maintaining the current infrastructure and services for rail. It also works to expand and improve the national rail network. The department expects all railroad employers to abide by strict rules and regulations, empower their employees and provide them with tools needed to be successful and safe. This includes an anonymous close-call reporting system, creating labor-management occupational safety and health committees, with full union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective gear.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations into complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties are handed out to those who violate railroad safety laws. Safety inspectors from the agency have wide decision-making power to determine if an act is within the definition provided by law of an act that is punishable with civil penalties. Additionally the Office of Chief Counsel's safety department reviews all reports that are received by regional offices for legal sufficiency before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the field and regional levels ensures that the lengthy, time-consuming civil penalty process is applied only in cases that are truly deserving of the effect of a civil penalty.

A rail employee must be aware of rules and regulations that govern their actions, and not knowingly violate those rules to be guilty of a civil penalty-worthy offence. The agency does not consider that a person who acts in response to a supervisor's direction has committed a willful offence. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire network that transports passengers and goods between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad in a steel mill is not considered part of the general transportation system by rail, even being 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 oversees rail financing, including grants and loans for infrastructure and improvements to service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to devise strategies for improving the rail system of the United States. This work includes maintaining current rail infrastructure and services as well as addressing the need for new capacity and 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 aims to connect people to the places they want and provide more choices for travel. The agency's focus is on enhancing the experience for passengers as well as enhancing the safety of its existing fleet, and ensuring that the rail network continues operating efficiently.

Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, including those related to the size of the crews on trains. In recent times, this issue has been a source of contention. Certain states have passed legislation mandating two-person teams on trains. This final rule outlines the minimum crew size requirements at the federal level, making sure that all railroads are held 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 better identify the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. Additionally 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 the operation would be as safe or safer than a two-crewmember operation.

During the public comment period on this rule, many people supported a two-person crew requirement. A letter from 29 people outlined their concerns that a single crew member would 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 noted that human factors account for more than half of railroad accidents, and they believe that a larger team will ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.

Technology

Freight and passenger rails employ a variety of technologies to increase efficiency, increase safety, and boost security. Rail industry jargon covers various unique 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 vehicle (also called drones).

Technology isn't merely replacing jobs, it's also empowering individuals to perform their work more efficiently and with greater security. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphone apps and contactless fare payment cards to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other developments, Act fela like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to reality.

As part of its ongoing efforts to improve safe, reliable and affordable transportation options for the country The Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollar initiative that will see bridges and tunnels restored, tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations reconstructed or upgraded. The FRA's rail improvement program will be greatly extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The agency's Office of Research, Federal Employers’ Liability Development and Technology is a central component of this initiative. The most recent National Academies review of the office found that it excelled in engaging in a continuous dialogue and utilizing the inputs of a wide range of stakeholders. It still needs to be aware of how its research contributes to the department's primary objective of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods via rail.

The agency could enhance its effectiveness by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the main freight rail industry industry organization that focuses on research, policy, and standard-setting, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help in developing industry standards for the implementation of the technology.

The FRA is interested in the group's creation 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 on-road vehicles. The agency will also want to understand the level of safety risk that the industry perceives associated with the introduction of fully automated operation and whether the industry is considering adding additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Railroads are adopting technology to increase worker safety and improve business processes. efficient and help ensure that the cargo it transports arrives at its destination in good condition. Examples of this kind of technological advancement include the use of cameras and sensors to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that help keep hazardous cargo safe during transport. Some of these technologies enable railroads to dispatch emergency responders directly to the scene of an accident to reduce the risk and minimize damage to people and property.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most important innovations in rail. It can keep train-to-train accidents out of the way, as well as situations where trains are on track they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human error. The system is a three-part system consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train and wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a massive backend server that analyzes and collects data.

Trains for passengers also adopt technology to increase security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to aid security staff in locating passengers and other items onboard trains in the event 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 lighting on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb.

Other technologies that can be utilized for passenger railroads include smart track technology, which can detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and send out drivers with a warning if it's unsafe for them to proceed. These technologies are especially effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other issues in the evenings, when traffic is low and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.

Another significant technological advance 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. Railcar operators and crews can benefit from greater accountability and visibility which can help them increase efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays when delivering freight.