The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

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

FRA field inspectors employ discretion to determine which cases merit the precise and time-consuming civil penalty process. This helps ensure that the most serious violations are punished.

SMART-TD and its allies made history in 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be in the locomotive cabs of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to ensure the health and welfare of its employees and the general public. It is responsible for employers’ liability act fela establishing and enforcing safety regulations for rail. It also oversees rail funding and conducts research on improvements to rail strategies and technologies. It also formulates the implementation and maintenance of an action plan to maintain the current rail infrastructure and services. It also works to expand and improve the national rail network. The department expects that all rail companies adhere to strict rules and empower their employees, and provide them with tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes taking part in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational health and safety committees that have full union participation and protection against retaliation and providing employees with personal safety equipment.

FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of the rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations of complaints of non-compliance. Civil penalties are imposed on those who violate rail safety laws. The agency's safety inspectors are able to decide on the extent to which an incident falls within the statutory description of a crime that is punishable by civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also reviews the reports that regional offices submit to ensure that they are legal prior to imposing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the regional and field levels helps ensure that the exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is applied only in 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 governing the conduct of his or her employees. They must also be aware of and ignore these rules. The agency does not consider that a person who acts in response to a supervisor's direction has committed a willful offence. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system over which goods and passengers travel within metropolitan areas or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in a steelmill is not considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, despite the fact that it's physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible to establish regulations for train operations, such as those relating to safety and the transportation of hazardous substances. The agency manages rail finance, including loans and grants to improve service and infrastructure. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's railroad system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for new capacity, expanding the network strategically and coordinating regional and national system's planning and development.

While the majority of the agency's work focuses on freight transportation, it also handles passenger transportation. The agency is working to provide more options for passengers and connect people with the places they want to go. The agency is focused primarily on improving the passenger's experience as well as enhancing the safety of its current fleet, and making sure that the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, including those related to the size of crews on trains. In recent years the issue has become controversial. Some states have passed legislation requiring two-person teams on trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum size of crew requirements, making sure that all railroads follow the same safety standards.

This rule also requires that each railroad that has a one-person crew notify FRA and submit a risk analysis. This will enable FRA to evaluate the characteristics of each operation with the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. In addition this rule will change the review standard for an approval petition that is based on to determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether the operation is safe or safer than an operation with two crew members.

During the time of public comment on this rule, a number of people expressed their support for a requirement of two persons on the crew. A letter from 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 noted that human factor are responsible for more than half all railroad accidents. They believe that a larger crew will ensure the safety of the train as well as its cargo.

Technology

Railroads for passenger and freight use a wide array of technologies to improve efficiency, improve security, improve safety and much more. The rail industry vernacular contains a myriad of distinct terms and acronyms however, 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 only able to replace certain jobs. It helps people perform their jobs better and more safely. Passenger railroads are using smartphone apps and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and make the system more efficient. Other innovations such as autonomous rail cars are moving closer to becoming reality.

As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure safe, reliable and affordable transportation for the nation, the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar effort will see tunnels, bridges tracks, power systems, and tracks updated, and stations being rebuilt or replaced. The FRA's rail improvements program will be substantially increased by the recently approved bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a major element in this effort. Recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging in a continuous dialogue and utilizing the inputs from a variety of stakeholders. It is still required to consider how its research contributes towards the department's primary goal of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods by railways.

The agency could increase its efficiency by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the principal industry association for the freight rail industry that is focused on research, policy and standard setting created an Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to help develop standards within the industry.

FRA will be interested in the group's development of an automated rail taxonomy. It is a standardization system that can 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 level of safety risk that the industry believes is associated when implementing a fully automated system and whether the industry is considering additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Railroads are embracing technology to increase worker safety and make business processes more efficient and ensure that the freight it transports arrives at its destination in good condition. Examples of this kind of innovations range from the use of sensors and cameras to track freight, to the latest railcar designs that keep dangerous cargo safe during transport. Some of these technologies even provide a way for railroads to send emergency response personnel to the scene of an accident so they can swiftly mitigate damage and minimize risk to property and people.

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

Trains for passengers are also adopting technology to bolster security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to assist passenger security personnel in locating passengers and other items aboard trains in the event of an emergency. The company is also examining ways to utilize 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 can be used in railways that transport passengers. It is able to detect objects or people on tracks and notify motorists that it is not safe to continue. These types of technologies can be particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized and other problems during times when traffic is at its lowest and fewer people are around to witness an accident.

Telematics is a significant technological advance in the railway industry. It lets railways, shippers, and other stakeholders, to track a traincar in real-time. These capabilities give railcar owners and crews greater control and visibility. They can also aid in improving efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in delivering freight to customers.