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 field inspectors make use of discretion to determine which cases warrant the exact and time-consuming civil penalty process. This ensures that the violations most deserving of punishment are penalized.

Allies and members of SMART-TD 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 continues.

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 rail safety regulations as well as manages funding for rail and researches strategies for improving rail and technology. It also develops and implements a strategy to ensure that current infrastructure, services, and capacity and strategically expands and enhances the national rail network. The department demands that all rail employers adhere to strict rules, empower their employees and provide them with the tools to be safe and successful. This includes participating in the secure close call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational health and safety committees, with full union participation, as well as anti-retaliation protections and providing employees with the necessary personal protection equipment.

FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of the rail safety regulations and laws. They perform routine inspections on equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Anyone who is in violation of rail safety laws may be penalized civilly. The agency's safety inspectors have broad discretion over whether a particular violation meets the statutory definition of a crime that is punishable by civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also examines all reports submitted by regional offices to ensure they are legal before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the regional and field levels ensures that the exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is used only in those situations that are truly deserving of the effect of a civil fine.

Rail employees must be aware of rules and regulations that govern his actions and be aware of the guidelines to be guilty of a civil penalty-worthy offence. The agency does not consider an individual who acted upon a directive from a supervisor has committed a willful offense. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system that allows passengers and goods to travel within metropolitan and city 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, even though it is physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations that pertain to safety and the movement of dangerous substances. The agency is responsible for managing rail finance, including loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvement. 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 services and infrastructure as well as making sure that there is enough capacity strategically expanding the network, as well as coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.

Although the majority of the agency's work is focused on freight transportation, it also oversees the transportation of passengers. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passenger travel and connect passengers with the places they'd like to go. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience as well as enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring that the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads are required to comply with a range of federal regulations, including those that deal with the size and composition of train crews. This is an issue of contention in recent years, with a few states passing legislation to require two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies federally the minimum size of crew requirements, ensuring that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.

This also requires every railroad that has one-person train crews to inform FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will allow FRA to better understand the specifics of each operation and compare them with those of a normal two-person crew operation. Additionally this rule will change the standard of review for the special approval petition from determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining if approving the operation is safer or more secure than an operation with two crew members.

During the period of public comments for this rule, a lot of people voted for a requirement for two people on the crew. A letter from 29 people outlined their concerns that a single crew member might not be as quick to respond to issues with trains or grade crossing incidents or assist emergency responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. Commenters pointed out that human factors are responsible for a majority of railroad accidents. They believe that a larger team will ensure the security of the train as well as its cargo.

Technology

Railroads for passenger and freight use various technologies to improve efficiency, improve security, improve safety and much more. Rail industry jargon includes many specific 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 isn't merely replacing jobs, it's also empowering individuals to perform their work better and safer. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphone apps and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and make the system more efficient. Other innovations, such as autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to becoming reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure secure reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in the United States is focusing on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollar project that will see bridges and tunnels rebuilt, tracks and power systems upgraded and stations rebuilt or replaced. FRA's recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure fela law firm will dramatically expand the agency's rail improvements programs.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a major piece in this effort. The most recent National Academies review of the office found it excelled at engaging in a continuous dialogue and utilizing the inputs from a range of stakeholders. It must continue to focus on how its research contributes to the department's main goal of ensuring safe movement of goods and people by rail.

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

The FRA is interested in the development of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently different levels of automation. This could be applicable to both rail transit and vehicles on the road. The agency would like to know the amount of risk the industry perceives with fully automated operation, as well as whether the industry is considering any additional safeguards to reduce that risk.

Innovation

Railroads are adopting technology to improve worker safety and make business processes more efficient, and ensure that the cargo it transports arrives at its destination in good condition. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight to new railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Some of these technologies allow railroads to send emergency responders to locations of accidents so they can swiftly mitigate damage and minimize risk to people and property.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most important innovations in rail. It can stop train-to-train accidents, instances when trains are in a position they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human errors. This system is made up of three parts: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive and a huge server that collects and analyses data.

Passenger railroads also embrace technology to increase security and safety. Amtrak is one example. It is testing the use of drones to assist security personnel on trains locate passengers and items in the event of an emergency. The company is also exploring ways to utilize drones. They could be used to inspect bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lights on railway towers, which are dangerous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is a different technology that is used in railways that transport passengers. It can detect objects or people on tracks and alert drivers if it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are especially useful for detecting unauthorized crossings or other issues during 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 shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to view the status and condition of a traincar by real-time tracking. Railcar operators and crews can benefit from increased accountability and transparency, which will help them increase efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and delay in the delivery of freight.