The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology
The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for the safety of rail, regulations and enforcement, rail funding and research on improving rail strategies.
FRA inspectors on the ground use discretion to decide which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty procedure. This helps ensure that the most serious violations are punished.
SMART-TD and its allies created history by 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two people should be allowed in the cabs of freight trains. The fight is not over.
Safety
The Federal Railroad Administration implements a variety of safety measures to safeguard the health of its employees and public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also oversees rail funding, and studies rail improvement strategies and technological developments. It also develops and implements a plan to maintain current infrastructure, services, and capacity and strategically expands and improves the national rail network. The department requires all rail employers to adhere to the strictest rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with tools to be successful and secure. This includes participating in the confidential close-call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational health and safety committees with full union participation, as well as protection against retaliation and providing employees with personal protective equipment.
FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of the rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and investigate complaints from hundreds of people. Anyone who is in violation of the safety rules for rail can be punished with civil penalties. Safety inspectors from the agency have a broad discretion on whether an incident falls within the legal definition of a civil penalty-worthy act. Additionally the Office of Chief Counsel's safety department reviews all reports that are received from regional offices to determine their legality before determining penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the regional and field levels helps ensure that the exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is used only in those situations which truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty.
To be guilty of a civil violation the employee of a rail company must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern the conduct of his or her employees. They must also be aware of and ignore these rules. However the agency doesn't consider anyone who acts under a directive by a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire system that transports passengers and goods between cities and metropolitan areas. The trackage of a plant railroad within a steelmill is not considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, even though it is physically connected.
Regulation
The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, including those related to safety and movement of hazardous materials. The agency also manages financing for rail which includes loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the country's railroad system. This work includes maintaining current rail services and infrastructure and making sure that there is enough capacity strategically expanding the network, and coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.
The agency is primarily responsible for freight transport, but also manages passenger transportation. The agency is working to offer more options for passengers and connect passengers with the places they would like to travel to. 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 continues operating efficiently.
Railroads are required to comply with a variety of federal regulations, including the ones pertaining to the size and composition of the train crews. 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 outlines the minimum crew size requirements at the federal level, making sure that all railroads are held to the same safety standards.
This also requires every railroad that operates a single-person train crew to inform FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will allow FRA to better understand the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with those of a typical two-person crew operation. This rule also changes the standard for reviewing a special approval request from determining if an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety to determining if the operation is as safe or less risky than a two-person crew operation.
During the time of public comments for this rule, a number of people voiced their support for a requirement for a two person crew. A letter written by 29 individuals emphasized their concerns 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. The commenters pointed out that human factors account for more than half all railroad accidents, and they think that a bigger crew will ensure the safety of the train and the cargo it transports.
Technology
Freight and passenger railroads employ a wide array of technologies to improve efficiency, add security, improve safety and more. The rail industry vernacular includes many specific terms and acronyms, however, some of the most notable innovations include machine vision systems, instrumentsed rail inspection systems, driverless trains rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly called drones).
Technology isn't just about replacing certain jobs. It empowers people to do their jobs better and safer. Passenger railroads are using smartphone apps and contactless fare payment cards to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to becoming a reality.
As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable transportation for the entire nation, the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollar project that will see tunnels and bridges restored as well as tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations rebuilt or upgraded. The FRA's rail improvements program will be significantly increased by the recently approved bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a crucial component in this effort. Recent National Academies review of the office found that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communication and using inputs from a range of stakeholders. It still needs to focus on how its research contributes to the department's primary goal of ensuring safe movement of goods and people by railways.
One area in which the agency might be able improve its effectiveness is by identifying and assisting the development of automated train technology and systems. The Association of American Railroads, the main freight rail industry industry organization that focuses on policy, research and standard-setting the Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help develop industry standards for the implementation of the technology.
The FRA is interested in the creation of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles, a system that defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This would apply to both rail transit and on-road vehicles. The agency will also be looking to know the level of risk to safety that the industry believes is associated with implementing fully automated operation and whether the industry is contemplating additional security measures to reduce the risk.
Innovation
Rail companies are adopting technology to enhance worker safety, boost efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the cargo they transport is delivered intact. Examples of such innovation range from the use of sensors and cameras to track freight, to the latest railcar designs that help keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Some of these technologies allow railroads dispatch emergency responders directly to accident sites to minimize the risk and minimize damage to property and people.
One of the most well-known innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC), which will inhibit train-to-train collisions, situations where trains are on tracks that shouldn't be, and other accidents resulting from human mistakes. The system is comprised of three parts: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a huge server that gathers and analyzes data.
Trains for passengers also adopt technology to improve safety and security. fela case settlements , for example, is experimenting with drones to help security personnel on trains locate passengers and items in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to make use of 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 is used in railways that transport passengers. It can detect objects or people on tracks and alert drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These kinds of technologies are particularly valuable for detecting unauthorized crossings and other problems during times when traffic volumes are lowest and there are fewer people around to witness an accident.
Telematics is another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry. It allows railways, shippers and other stakeholders, to follow a traincar's progress in real-time. Such capabilities give railcar operators and crews better accountability and visibility and can help them improve efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays in the delivery of freight to customers.