The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal employers’ Liability Railroad Administration is responsible for the safety of rail, regulations and enforcement, rail funding, and research on rail improvement strategies.

FRA field inspectors make use of discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the precise and lengthy civil penalty process. This discretion helps ensure that the most serious violations of punishment are punished.

Allies and members of SMART-TD made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to keep two people 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 protect the health of employees as well as the public. It creates and enforces regulations for rail safety and oversees the funding for rail. It also researches strategies for improving rail and technologies. It also creates and implements a plan to ensure that current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically develops and enhances the national rail network. The department demands that all rail companies adhere to strict guidelines that empower their employees and provide them with tools to be safe and successful. This includes participation in the confidential close call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational health and safety committees with full union participation and protection against retaliation and providing employees with needed personal protection equipment.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the leading edge of enforcing rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations into complaints of non-compliance. Anyone who violates the safety rules for rail can be subject to civil penalties. Safety inspectors from the agency are able to decide on the extent to which a particular violation meets the statutory description of a civil penalty-worthy act. The Office of Chief Counsel’s safety division also scrutinizes the reports submitted by regional offices to ensure they are legal prior to imposing penalties. This discretion is exercised at both the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied in situations that warrant them.

A rail worker must be aware of rules and regulations that govern his or her actions and knowingly disregard those rules to commit a criminal offense that is punishable by a civil penalty. However the agency doesn't take any person who is acting under a direction from a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire network that passengers and goods travel within metropolitan and city areas, or between them. A plant railroad's trackage in the steel mill isn't considered part of the general transportation system that trains, even being physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal railroad injury fela lawyer Administration is responsible for establishing regulations for trains that pertain to safety and the transportation of dangerous substances. The agency also oversees rail financing including loans and grants for infrastructure and improvements to service. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's railway system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services as well as making sure that there is enough capacity and strategically expanding the network as well as coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.

While the majority of the agency's work focuses on freight transportation, it also oversees the transportation of passengers. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passengers and connect people with the places they'd like to travel to. The agency's focus is on enhancing the experience for passengers as well as enhancing the safety of its existing fleet and ensuring the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads must comply with many federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of crews on trains. This issue has become an issue of contention in recent years, with a few states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum size of crew requirements, ensuring that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.

This rule also requires each railroad that has one-person train crews to notify FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will allow FRA to better identify the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with the typical two-person crew operation. In addition this rule alters the standard of review for the special approval petition from determining whether the operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether the operation is secure or as safe as a two-crewmember operation.

During the period of public comments for this rule, a lot of people voiced their support for a requirement for a two person crew. A form letter sent by 29 people outlined their concerns that a lone crewmember could not be as quick to respond to issues with trains or grade crossing incidents or assist emergency response personnel at a highway-rail grade crossing. Commenters emphasized that human factors are the reason for more than half of all railroad accidents. They believe that a bigger crew will ensure the security of the train and its cargo.

Technology

Freight and passenger railroads employ various technologies to enhance efficiency, improve security, improve safety and more. The rail industry vernacular contains a myriad of distinct terms and acronyms but some of the most notable developments 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 empowers people to do their jobs better and with greater security. Passenger railroads are using smartphone apps and contactless fare payment cards to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations, such as autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to becoming reality.

As part of its ongoing effort to advance safe, 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 renovated or replaced. FRA's recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will substantially increase the agency's rail improvement programs.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key component in this effort. The National Academies' recent review of the office found that it excelled in keeping in touch with and using inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. However, it needs to focus more on how its research helps the department achieve its primary strategic goal of ensuring the safe transportation of goods and people by railway.

One area where the agency could be able to increase its effectiveness is in identifying and assisting the development 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 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 development of an automated rail taxonomy, which is a standard that will clearly and consistently define different levels of automation that will be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will also want to know the degree of risk to safety that the industry perceives associated when implementing a fully automated system and whether the industry is considering adding additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are adopting new technologies to enhance worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the freight they transport reaches its destination intact. Examples of this kind of innovation vary from the use cameras and sensors to track freight, to the latest railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies offer railroads the ability to send emergency responders to the scene of an accident so they can quickly mitigate the damage and minimize risk to property and people.

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

Railroads that transport passengers also use technology to increase security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to aid security personnel in locating passengers and other items aboard trains in case of an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to utilize drones. They could be used to examine bridges and other infrastructure, or to replace the lights on railway towers, which are dangerous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is another technology that can be utilized in railways for passengers. It can detect people or objects on tracks and notify motorists that it is not safe to continue. These technologies are especially useful for detecting unauthorized 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 rail industry is telematics which allows railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to view a traincar's status and condition via real-time tracking. Crews and railcar operators can benefit from greater accountability and visibility which will allow them to increase efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help delay in the delivery of freight.