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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 inspectors on the ground employ discretion to decide which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty process. This discretion helps ensure that the violations most deserving of punishment are penalized.

SMART-TD members and allies have made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to keep two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a range of safety measures in place to safeguard the health and welfare of employees and the public. It creates and enforces rail safety regulations, administers rail funding and studies strategies for improving rail infrastructure and new technologies. It also creates the implementation and maintenance of a plan for maintaining the current infrastructure and services for rail. It also develops and improves the rail network across the nation. The department expects that all rail employers adhere to strict rules that empower their employees and provide them with the tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes a 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 regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations into complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties can be applied to those who break rail safety laws. Safety inspectors from the agency have wide decision-making power to determine if an act is within the legal definition of an act punishable with civil penalties. In addition the Office of Chief Counsel's safety department reviews all reports that are received by regional offices to determine legality prior to 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 those situations which truly warrant the deterrent impact of a civil penalty.

A rail worker must be aware of rules and regulations that govern his or her actions and be aware of the standards to be guilty of a civil penalty-worthy offence. However the agency doesn't take any person who is acting under a direction from a supervisor to have committed an intentional violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system that passengers and goods travel within metropolitan and city areas and between them. The trackage of a plant railroad within the steelmill isn't considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, even though it's physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations including those related to safety and the transportation of hazardous substances. The agency also oversees rail financing including loans and grants for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and the industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's railway system. This includes maintaining current rail infrastructure and services and making sure that there is enough capacity strategically expanding the network as well as coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.

The agency is primarily responsible for freight transportation but also supervises passenger transportation. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passenger travel and connect people to the places they'd like to go. The agency is focused on improving the experience for passengers, improving the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring that the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads must abide by a variety of federal regulations, relating to the size of the crews on trains. This is a controversial one in recent years, with a few states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies federally the minimum size of crew requirements, making sure that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.

This rule also requires that each railroad operating with a crew of one notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will enable FRA to evaluate the characteristics of each operation to the 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 to determining if the operation is as secure or safer than two-person crew operations.

During the public comment period for this rule, a lot of people expressed support for the requirement of a two-person crew. A letter written by 29 people expressed their concern that a lone crewmember could not be as quick to respond to train malfunctions or grade crossing incidents or assist emergency responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. Commenters pointed out that human factors are responsible for more than half all railroad accidents. They believe that a bigger crew will ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.

Technology

Railroads for passenger and freight use various technologies to enhance efficiency, improve security, improve safety and much more. Rail industry jargon comprises a variety of distinct terms and acronyms. Some of the most well-known include machine vision systems (also called drones) and rail-inspection systems that are instrumented, driverless train, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as drones).

Technology isn't just replacing some jobs, Federal Employers it's also empowering people to perform their jobs better and safer. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote secure affordable, reliable, and secure transportation in the United States is focusing on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar project will see tunnels, bridges, tracks and power systems updated and stations rebuilt or replace. The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will significantly increase the agency's rail improvement programs.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is an essential element in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office found that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communications using inputs from a broad range of stakeholders. It still needs to consider how its research contributes towards the department's primary goal of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods by railways.

One area in which the agency could be able to improve its effectiveness is by identifying and assisting the advancement of automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the main freight rail industry business organization that is focused on research, policy, and standard setting, has established a 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 creation of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This would apply to both rail transit and vehicles on the road. The agency would like to know the level of risk the industry is assessing with fully automated operation, and whether the industry is considering any additional measures to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Railroads are embracing technology to improve worker safety, make business processes more efficient, and ensure that the freight they move reaches its destination intact. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight, to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies provide a way for railroads to dispatch emergency personnel to the scene of an accident so they can swiftly mitigate risks to property and lives.

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

Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to enhance security and safety. Amtrak for instance, is testing the use of drones to help security personnel on trains locate passengers and items in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to utilize drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lights on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb.

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

Another significant technological advance in the railway industry is telematics which allows railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to monitor the status and condition of a traincar via real-time tracking. Crews and railcar operators can benefit from increased accountability and visibility, which will help them to increase efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and delay in the delivery of freight.