The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail It also provides rail funding and studies strategies for improving rail safety.

FRA field inspectors use discretion to decide on which cases merit the precise and time-consuming civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that the most serious violations are penalized.

Allies and members of SMART-TD made history in 2024 when they began pushing the FRA to keep two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight continues.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a range of safety measures in place to ensure the health and safety of employees as well as the general public. It is responsible for establishing and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also manages rail funding and studies rail improvement strategies and technology. It also creates and implements a plan to ensure that current infrastructure, rail services and capacity, and strategically expands and improves the national rail network. The department expects all rail employers to abide by strict rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with the tools to succeed and stay secure. This includes participation in the secure close call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational health and safety committees that have full participation from unions and anti-retaliation safeguards, and providing employees with needed personal protective equipment.

FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of railway safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct investigations into hundreds of complaints. Civil penalties are handed out to those who violate railroad safety laws. Safety inspectors from the agency have wide discretion to determine whether a violation falls under the statutory definition of an act punishable by civil penalties. Additionally, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division reviews all reports that are received from regional offices to determine their legal sufficiency before assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised at both the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used in cases that warrant their use.

To be considered guilty of a civil violation, a rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations governing the conduct of his or her employees. They must also knowingly disregard these standards. The agency does not consider that an individual who acts upon a directive from a supervisor has committed a willful offence. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire system that transports passengers and goods within and between cities and metropolitan areas. The trackage of a plant fela railroad in the steel mill isn't considered part of the general transportation system that trains, even though it is physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations, such as those relating to safety and the movement of dangerous substances. The agency also oversees rail financing, including grants and loans for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to devise strategies for improving the rail system of the United States. This includes maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services, responding to the demands for additional capacity and expanding the network strategically, and coordinating regional and national system's planning and development.

While most of the agency's activities are focused on freight transportation, it also manages the transportation of passengers. The agency is working to offer more options for passenger travel and connect passengers with the places they would like to go. The agency's focus is on improving the passenger's experience and enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and making sure that the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads must comply with many federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of the crews on trains. In recent times the issue has become controversial. Certain states have passed legislation requiring two-person teams on trains. This final rule codifies the minimum crew size requirements at a federal level, ensuring that all railroads are held 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 compare the parameters of each operation with the standard two-person crew operation. In addition this rule will change the criteria for reviewing the special approval petition from determining whether the operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether the operation would be as secure or as safe as a two-crewmember operation.

During the time of public comment for this rule, a lot of people expressed their support for a requirement of a two person crew. A letter from 29 people expressed their concern that a lone crewmember could 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 factor are responsible for more than half all railroad accidents. They believe that a larger crew would ensure the security of the train and its cargo.

Technology

Freight and passenger rails employ various technologies to increase efficiency, improve safety, and boost security. The rail industry lingo contains a myriad of unique terms and acronyms, but some of the most notable innovations include machines-vision systems, instrumented rail inspection systems, driverless trains rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly known as drones).

Technology isn't just about replacing certain jobs. It empowers people to perform their jobs better and more safely. 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 moving closer to becoming reality.

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

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central element in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office found that it excelled in keeping in touch using inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. It must continue to consider how its research contributes to the department's primary goal of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people by railways.

The agency could enhance its efficiency by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail association that focuses on research, policy and standard setting, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to assist in the development of industry standards to implement the technology.

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 both rail transit and on-road vehicles. The agency will also want to know the level of safety risk that the industry believes is associated with the introduction of fully automated operation and whether or not the industry is considering additional protections to minimize the risk.

Innovation

Railroads are embracing technology to increase worker safety and make business processes more efficient, and ensure that the cargo that they transport arrives at its destination in good condition. Examples of such innovations include the use of sensors and cameras to track freight, to the latest railcar designs that keep dangerous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies allow railroads to send emergency responders to the scene of an accident so they can quickly mitigate the risks to property and lives.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most significant developments in rail. It will stop train-to-train accidents, instances when trains are in a position they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human errors. This system consists of three parts consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive; and a massive server that analyzes and collects data.

Trains for passengers are also adopting technology to improve safety and security. Amtrak is one example. It is experimenting with the use of drones to help security personnel on trains locate passengers and items in an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to make use of drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is a different technology that is used in railways for passengers. It is able to detect objects or people on tracks and notify drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These types of technology are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized and other issues during off-hours, when traffic levels are lower and there are fewer people to witness an accident.

Another important technological breakthrough in the rail industry is telematics, which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to monitor the condition and status of a traincar via real-time tracking. Traincar crews and operators can benefit from increased accountability and transparency which can help them to improve efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and delay in the delivery of freight.