The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

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

FRA inspectors on the ground make use of discretion to determine which cases merit the time-consuming and precise civil penalty procedure. This allows them to ensure that those 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 cabs of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to safeguard the safety and health of employees as well as the general public. It develops and enforces safety regulations for rail, administers rail funding and researches strategies for improving rail and technology. It also formulates the implementation and maintenance of an action plan to maintain current rail services and infrastructure. It also expands and improves strategically the national rail network. The department expects all railroad employers liability act fela to adhere to strict rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with the tools needed to be successful and secure. This includes taking part in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective equipment.

FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Civil penalties may be imposed on those who violate rail safety laws. The agency's safety inspectors are able to decide on the extent to which an individual violation is in line with the statutory description of a crime that is punishable by civil penalties. In addition the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division reviews all reports received from regional offices to determine their legality prior to assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised at both the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used in cases that warrant their use.

To be guilty of a civil infringement an employee of a railroad must know the rules and regulations governing his or her actions. They also must be aware that they disregard these standards. The agency doesn't consider that an individual who acts on a supervisor's directive has committed a willful offence. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system over which goods and passengers travel within metropolitan areas, or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in the steelmill isn't considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, despite the fact that it is physically connected.

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 loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency works with other DOT agencies as well as industry to devise strategies for improving the nation's rail infrastructure. This work includes maintaining current rail infrastructure and services as well as in addition to addressing the need for additional capacity, strategically expanding the network, and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development.

Although the majority of the agency's work is focused on freight transportation, it also oversees passenger transportation. The agency is trying to connect people with the destinations they desire and offer more options for travel. The agency is focused primarily on enhancing the experience for passengers and enhancing the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring that the rail system continues to operate efficiently.

Railroads must comply with many federal regulations, including those related to the size of crews on trains. This is controversial in recent years, with a few states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies the minimum crew size requirements at an international level, and ensures that all railroads are subject to consistent safety standards.

This rule also requires each railroad that operates a single-person train crew to inform FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will allow FRA to better understand the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. Additionally this rule will change the standard of review for a special approval petition from determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether the operation would be as safer or more secure than a two-crewmember operation.

During the time of public comments for this rule, a lot of people voted for a requirement of two persons on the crew. A form letter sent by 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member might not be as quick to respond to train-related malfunctions or crossing incidents, or assist emergency responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. The commenters emphasized that human factors are responsible for more than half of railroad accidents and believe that a larger team would help ensure the safety of both the train and the cargo it transports.

Technology

Freight and passenger rails use various technologies to improve efficiency, enhance security, and improve safety. Rail industry jargon comprises many distinct terms and acronyms. Some of the most notable include machine vision systems (also called drones), instrumented rail-inspection systems driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicle (also known as drones).

Technology doesn't just replace some jobs. It allows people to perform their jobs better and more safely. Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards to increase passengership and boost the efficiency of their system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to becoming reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure secure affordable, reliable, and secure transportation in the United States is focusing on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This is a multi-billion-dollar project that will see bridges and tunnels restored, tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations rebuilt or replaced. The FRA's rail improvements program will be greatly extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is an essential part of this effort. Recent National Academies review of the office found that it excelled in engaging with, maintaining communication and utilizing inputs from a variety of stakeholders. But it still needs to be more focused on how its research contributes to the department's primary strategic goal of ensuring the safe transportation of goods and people via rail.

The agency could improve its effectiveness by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail association that focuses on research, policy, and standardization, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help develop industry standards for the implementation of the technology.

FRA is likely to be interested in the group's development of an automated rail taxonomy, a system of standards to clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that could be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will need to know the amount of risk that the industry sees in fully automated operation, and if the industry is considering any additional measures to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Railroads are embracing technology to increase worker safety and improve business processes. efficient, and ensure that the cargo they move reaches its destination safely. Examples of such innovation include the use of sensors and cameras to track freight, to the latest railcar designs that keep dangerous cargo secure during transit. Some of these technologies allow railroads dispatch emergency personnel directly to the scene of an accident to minimize the risk and minimize damage to property and people.

One of the most well-known innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC), which will inhibit train-to-train collisions, situations where trains are on tracks where they shouldn't be and other accidents resulting from human errors. The system is comprised of three parts of onboard locomotive systems that track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive; and a huge server that analyzes and collects data.

Trains for passengers also adopt technology to increase safety and security. Amtrak, for example, is experimenting with drones in order to help train security staff locate passengers and items in an emergency. The company is also exploring other possibilities to utilize drones, including deploying drones to inspect bridges as well as other infrastructure, such as replacing the lights on railway towers, which could be hazardous for workers to climb.

Other technologies that can be utilized for railways for passengers include smart track technology that can detect the presence of people or objects on the tracks and send out a warning to drivers if it's unsafe to proceed. These kinds of technologies can be particularly beneficial in detecting unsafe crossings as well as other issues that can arise during off-hours, when traffic volumes are lowest and fewer people are around to witness an accident.

Another important technological breakthrough in the rail industry is telematics which allows railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to view a traincar's status and condition by real-time tracking. Crews and railcar operators will benefit from increased accountability and visibility which can help them to improve efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help avoid delays when delivering freight.