The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology
The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations It also provides rail funding and conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure.
FRA inspectors on the ground use discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that the violations most deserving of punishment are punished.
SMART-TD and its allies created history in 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be in the locomotive cabs of freight trains. The fight continues.
Safety
The Federal Railroad Administration implements a variety of safety measures to ensure the health of employees and public. It is responsible for establishing and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also oversees rail funding, and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technology. It also develops the implementation and maintenance of plans for the maintenance of current rail services and infrastructure. It also expands and improves strategically the rail network across the nation. The department requires all rail companies to abide by strict rules and regulations, empower their employees and provide them with tools to succeed and stay secure. This includes participating in a confidential 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 gear.
FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of railway safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections on equipment and investigate complaints from hundreds of people. Those who violate the safety rules for rail can be penalized civilly. Safety inspectors at the agency have a wide decision-making power to determine if violations fall within the statutory definition of an offense that is punishable with civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also reviews the reports submitted by regional offices to ensure they are legal before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion both at the regional and field levels helps ensure that the lengthy, time-consuming civil penalty process is applied only in those situations that truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty.
To be guilty of a civil violation an employee of a railroad must know the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions. They must also knowingly not adhere to these rules. However the agency does not take any person who acts under a directive from a supervisor as having committed a willful violation. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire network that transports passengers and goods within and between cities and metropolitan areas. The trackage of a plant railroad within a steelmill is not considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, even though it is physically connected.
Regulation
The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, ranging from those related to safety and movement of hazardous materials. The agency manages rail finance, which includes grants and loan for infrastructure and service improvement. The agency works with other DOT agencies and with industry to develop strategies for improving the nation's railroad system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, in addition to addressing the need for additional capacity strategically expanding the network and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development.
The agency is mostly responsible for freight transportation but also oversees passenger transport. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passenger travel and connect people with the places they'd like to travel to. The agency is focused on enhancing the passenger experience and enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and making sure that the rail network continues to operate efficiently.
Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, including those related to the size of crews on trains. In recent years this issue has become controversial. Certain states have passed legislation that requires two-person crews in trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum crew size requirements, ensuring that all railroads follow the same 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 enable FRA to assess the requirements of each operation with the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. This rule also changes the standard for reviewing a special approval request from determining whether an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is as secure or more secure than a two-person crew operation.
During the public comment period for this rule, a lot of people supported a two-person crew requirement. A form letter sent by 29 people expressed their concern 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. The commenters pointed out that human factors are responsible for more than half of railroad accidents, and they think that a bigger crew will ensure the safety of both the train and the cargo it transports.
Technology
Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ numerous technologies to increase efficiency, improve security, increase safety and more. The rail industry lingo includes a variety of unique terms and acronyms, but some of the most notable innovations include machine vision systems, instrumentsed rail inspection systems, driverless trains rolling data centers and drones that are not piloted (commonly known as drones).
Technology doesn't just replace some jobs. It helps people perform their jobs better and more safely. Passenger railroads are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations, such as autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to becoming reality.
As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure 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 and power systems updated, and stations being rebuilt or replaced. The FRA's rail improvement program will be substantially expanded by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key element in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it excelled in keeping in touch using inputs from a variety of stakeholders. But it must focus more on how its research helps the department achieve its primary strategic goal of ensuring safe movement of people and goods by railway.
The agency could enhance its efficiency by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR), the primary industry association for the freight rail industry, which focuses on research, policy and standard setting, established an Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping create standards within the industry.
The FRA is interested in the development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles, a system that defines clearly and consistently different levels of automation. This would apply to rail transit as well as on-road vehicles. The agency would like to know the level of risk that the industry perceives with fully automated operation, as well as whether the industry is considering any additional measures to mitigate the risk.
Innovation
Rail companies are adopting technology to increase worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the cargo they transport is delivered in good condition. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight, to new railcar designs that help keep dangerous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies enable railroads to dispatch emergency responders directly to the scene of an accident to minimize the risk and minimize damage to people and property.
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 where they shouldn't be, as well as other accidents that are caused by human mistakes. This system is a three-part system comprised of locomotives onboard that track the train and wayside networks that connect with the locomotive and a massive backend server that analyzes and collects data.
fela lawsuits that transport passengers also use technology to increase safety and security. Amtrak, for example, is experimenting with drones to assist train security staff locate passengers and items in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to use drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructure, or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb.
Other technologies that could be utilized for passenger railroads include smart track technology, which can detect the presence of people or objects on the tracks and issue a warning to drivers if it's unsafe to travel. These types of technology are especially valuable for detecting unauthorized crossings and other problems during off-hours, when traffic is at its lowest and there are fewer people around to witness an accident.
Another significant technological advance in the rail industry is telematics which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to view a traincar's status and condition via real-time tracking. Such capabilities give railcar operators and crews better accountability and visibility and can assist them in improving efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays in the delivery of freight to customers.