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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail It also provides rail funding and conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure.

FRA inspectors on the ground make use of discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty procedure. This discretion helps ensure that the most serious violations of punishment are punished.

Allies and members of SMART-TD have made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to allow two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to protect the health and safety of employees as well as the general public. It is responsible for creating and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also manages rail funding, and studies rail improvement strategies and technologies. It also develops and implements a strategy to maintain current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically expands and improves the national rail network. The department requires all railroad employers to abide by strict rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with the tools to succeed and stay safe. This includes a confidential close-call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational safety and health committees that have full participation from unions and anti-retaliation clauses and providing employees with the required 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 conduct hundreds of investigations into complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties can be applied to those who break rail safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have wide discretion to determine whether violations fall within the statutory definition of an offense that is punishable with civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel’s safety division also scrutinizes the reports that regional offices submit to determine if they are legal prior to imposing penalties. The exercise of this discretion both at the field and regional levels ensures that the lengthy, time-consuming civil penalty process is applied only in cases that truly warrant the deterrent impact of a civil penalty.

A rail worker must be aware of rules and regulations that govern his or her actions and knowingly disregard those guidelines to commit a civil penalty-worthy offense. The agency does not consider that an individual who acts on a supervisor’s directive is guilty of committing a willful crime. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the entire network that transports passengers and goods within and between cities and metropolitan areas. 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 is physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations that pertain to safety and the transportation of dangerous substances. The agency is responsible for managing rail finance, including grants and loan for infrastructure and service improvement. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies to improve the nation’s rail system. This work includes maintaining current rail infrastructure and services, making sure that there is enough capacity strategically expanding the network, and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development.

Although the majority of the agency’s work is focused on freight transportation, it also manages the transportation of passengers. The agency aims to connect people with the places they’d like to visit and offer more alternatives for travel. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience and enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring the railway system continues to function efficiently.

Railroads are required to abide with a range of federal regulations, which include those that deal with the size and composition of train crews. In recent times this issue has been a source of contention. Some states have passed legislation mandating two-person teams on trains. This final rule codifies federally the minimum size crew requirements, making sure that all railroads follow the same safety standards.

This rule also requires that every railroad that has a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will allow FRA to evaluate the characteristics of each operation to the standard two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the review standard of an approval request that is a special case from determining whether an operation is “consistent” with railroad safety to determining if the operation is as safe or safer than two-person crew operation.

During the public comment period on this rule, a lot of people expressed support for the requirement of a two-person crew. In a formal letter, 29 people expressed their concern that a single member of the crew is not in a position to respond as quickly to incidents or train malfunctions at grade crossings, or assist emergency response personnel at the highway-rail level crossing. Commenters emphasized that human factors are the reason for more than half all railroad accidents. www.accidentinjurylawyers.claims believe that a bigger crew could ensure the safety of the train as well as its cargo.

Technology

Railroads for passenger and freight use numerous technologies to improve efficiency, add safety, boost security and more. The language used in the rail industry includes many distinct terms and acronyms but some of the more significant developments include machine vision systems, instrumented rail inspection systems, driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly known as drones).

Technology isn’t merely replacing jobs; it’s helping individuals to perform their work more efficiently and with greater security. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote secure, reliable, and affordable transportation in America, is focused on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar project will see tunnels, bridges tracks, power systems and tracks upgraded and stations being rebuilt or replaced. The FRA’s rail improvements program will be substantially extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The agency’s Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central element in this effort. The most recent National Academies review of the office found that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communication and using 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 people and goods by rail.

One area in which the agency may be able improve its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the advancement 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 standard setting the Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to assist in the development of industry standards for the implementation of the technology.

FRA is interested in the development of an automated rail taxonomy, a system of standards to clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that will be applicable to both rail and on-road transit vehicles. The agency will also need to understand the level of risk to safety that the industry perceives associated with the introduction of fully automated operation and whether or not the industry is contemplating additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Railroads are embracing technology to boost worker safety, make business processes more efficient, and ensure that the freight it transports arrives at its destination in good condition. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight, to new railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transportation. Some of these technologies allow railroads dispatch emergency personnel directly to the scene of an accident to minimize danger and minimize the damages to property and individuals.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most significant developments in rail. It is designed to prevent train-to-train accidents, situations where trains are on track they shouldn’t, and other incidents caused by human errors. The system is comprised of three components: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive and a massive server that collects and analyses data.

Trains for passengers also adopt technology to improve security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to assist passenger security personnel in locating passengers and items on board trains in case in an emergency. The company is also examining ways to make use of drones. They could be used to inspect bridges and other infrastructure, or to replace the lighting on railway towers, which are dangerous for workers to climb.

Other technologies that could be utilized for railways for passengers include smart track technology that can detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and send a warning to drivers if it’s unsafe to proceed. These types of technology are especially valuable for detecting unauthorized crossings and other problems during off-hours, when traffic volumes are lowest and fewer people are around to witness an accident.

Another significant technological advance in the rail industry is telematics, which allows railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to monitor a traincar’s status and condition via real-time tracking. These capabilities give railcar owners and their crews more control and visibility. They can also assist them in improving efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in the delivery of freight to customers.