The Federal Railroad Administration

The Federal Railroad Administration is among the 10 agencies of DOT that are accountable for intermodal transportation. Its goal is to facilitate the safe and reliable transportation of people and goods.

FRA field inspectors inspect the railroad track, train control and signal systems as well as operating procedures. They also investigate complaints.

Definition

Federal railroads are rail transporters in the United States controlled by the federal government. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) establishes and enforces safety rules, oversees railroad funding, and researches ways to improve rail transportation systems. The FRA is one of the 10 agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation which is responsible for intermodal transportation. Its chief executive officers are the Administrator and Deputy Administrator.

The agency supervises all freight and passenger transport that utilizes the nation's railway network. The agency also coordinates government funding for AccidentInjuryLawyers rail transportation and assists in the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor passenger service. Additionally, the agency oversees the ownership and operation of all intermodal facilities such as tracks, right-of-way equipment and real property as well as rolling stock, and also provides the overall coordination of federal rail transportation programs.

The FRA's responsibilities are to establish through regulation, after notification and comment the procedure by which any person may report to the Secretary of Homeland Security concerning railroad security problems or inconsistencies. Additionally, the FRA sets up policies and conducts inspections to assess the compliance with its rail safety laws in six technical disciplines tracks signals and train control, motive power and machinery, operating practices, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.

The agency is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the rail transportation system is secure, economical, and environmentally friendly. The agency also requires that railroads to provide a safe working environment and provide adequate training to their employees. Additionally, AccidentInjuryLawyers the agency establishes and enforces railroad rates to ensure that the public is receiving fair prices for their transportation services.

The Federal Railroad Administration also enacts and enforces rules to prevent discrimination towards railroad employees. The agency also safeguards whistleblowers against retaliation from railroad companies. The agency also has procedures for railroad employees can make complaints against the company's actions.

The agency's primary mission is to ensure the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods to ensure a secure America both now and in the future. The FRA accomplishes this by controlling safety of railroads, coordinating railroad assistance programs and conducting research that supports improved railroad safety and national rail transportation policies as well as coordinating and assisting with the development of rail networks, and helping the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads were essentially monopolies with little competition. This meant that railroads often misused their position in the market. Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission, as along with other regulatory agencies to control railroad monopolies' abuses.

Purpose

The federal railroad is a federal agency that sets regulations, manages rail funds and researches ways to improve the nation's rail transportation system. It supervises passenger and freight railroads, and manages the nation's rail infrastructure. It is one of the ten agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding existing rail systems, as well as ensuring the ability of the rail industry to meet the growing demand for freight and travel as well as providing leadership in regional and national system planning.

Safety is the main responsibility in the field of rail transportation. The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for this. It has several divisions which oversee the country's freight and passenger railroad operations. The Office of Railroad Safety is the largest of them with approximately 350 inspectors. It is responsible for conducting safety inspections across six technical disciplines, including track, signalling, and train control equipment and motives, operating procedures, hazmat, and highway-rail grade crossings.

FRA has various departments, including the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. It oversees programs designed to improve freight and passenger railway transportation, including the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for granting grants for railways and collaborates with other agencies in order to plan the nation's rail requirements.

Another important function of the FRA is the enforcement of certain federal laws pertaining to railroads and their employees. This includes stopping railroads from using their power to discriminate against workers and ensuring that injured railway employees are transported to the nearest hospital to receive treatment. The law also prohibits railroads from delay or refuse medical treatment for injured railway workers.

The FRA is the primary regulator of the passenger and freight rail industries, however there are other agencies that manage the economic aspects of rail transport. Surface Transportation Board is responsible for establishing rates and managing the economics of the industry. It has regulatory authority on railroad mergers, line-sales, construction, and abandonment. After the public consultation period the agency is responsible for establishing regulations that will allow anyone to file a complaint about any alleged safety issues with rail.

Functions

Rails transport goods and people from and to cities in developed countries as well as villages in less developed countries. They transport raw materials to manufacturing and processing plants, and finished products from those facilities to warehouses and stores. Railroads are a critical form of transportation for a variety of essential commodities, including oil, coal and grains. In 2020, freight rail carried more than a quarter of the nation's total freight volumes [PDF].

A federal railroad operates like any other business with departments for marketing, operations, sales and an executive department. The marketing and sales department works with potential and existing customers as well as clients to determine what services they need and what they will cost. The operations department then develops rail services that meet these requirements at the lowest cost possible to earn money for railroad. The executive department supervises the entire operation and makes sure that every department is operating efficiently.

The government supports the railways in a variety ways, from grants to subsidized rates for shipping government traffic. Congress also provides money to support and build new stations and tracks. These subsidies are often in addition to the revenues the railroads earn from tickets and freight contracts.

Amtrak is owned by the United States government. It is a quasi-public for profit corporation with a significant stockholder, which is the United States government.

The Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) main task is to formulate and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical condition of trains as well as the health and safety of railroad employees. FRA also collects data on rail security to identify patterns and areas that require improvement or Accidentinjurylawyers regulatory attention and to track trends.

In addition to these fundamental tasks, FRA works on various other projects related to improving the security and economy of railroad transportation in the United States. For instance, the agency is working to eliminate barriers that could delay railroads in implementing positive train control (PTC). PTC is a safety system that uses sensors and on-board computers to stop the train automatically when it gets too close to another vehicle or object.

History

The first railroads in the United States were built in the 1820s and 1830s largely in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. Railroads helped speed up industrialization and brought more food items to market in these areas. This made the country more self-sufficient and less dependent on imports.

In the latter half of the nineteenth century the railroad industry was experiencing an "Golden Age," during which many new, more efficient rail lines were built and passenger travel on train became increasingly popular. The government's efforts in expanding the railroad system were an important aspect. For instance, the government provided land grants to homesteaders in order to encourage them to settle the West. Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads also collaborated to build the first transcontinental railroad, which allowed passengers to travel from New York City to San Francisco within six days.

In the first half century, however the demand for rail passenger services dwindled, while other modes of transport like planes and automobiles became more popular. Meanwhile, stifling regulation hindered railroads' ability to compete. The industry was plagued by a series of bankruptcies as well as service cuts and delayed maintenance. Misguided federal rail regulations also contributed to the decline.

Around 1970, federal government began to loosen the regulations governing railroads. The Surface Transportation Board was established to oversee economic aspects of the industry, such as railroad rates and mergers. The Federal Railroad Administration, which regulates freight and passenger transport and sets rail safety standards, was also created.

Since then, a great deal of investment has been made in the nation's railway infrastructure. The Northeast Corridor has been rebuilt for instance, in order to accommodate faster and more modern high-speed ground transportation (HSGT). There have also been efforts to develop more efficient freight rail. FRA hopes to continue working with all transportation agencies to ensure safe and reliable rails in the future. FRA's mission is to ensure that the nation's transportation system operates as efficiently as is possible.