The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations, provides rail funding and researches rail improvement strategies.

FRA field inspectors employ discretion to determine which cases warrant the exact and time consuming civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that those violations most deserving of punishment are penalized.

SMART-TD and its allies created history by 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be allowed to sit in the cabs of freight trains. The fight continues.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to protect the health of employees and public. It formulates and enforces regulations for rail safety as well as manages funding for rail and studies strategies for improving rail infrastructure and technologies. It also develops and implements a plan to maintain current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically develops and improves the nation's rail network. The department expects all rail companies to adhere to the strictest rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with tools to succeed and stay secure. This includes an anonymous close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full union participation and antiretaliation provisions and giving employees the necessary personal protective equipment.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct hundreds of investigations of complaints of non-compliance. Civil penalties can be handed out to those who violate the rail safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have wide decision-making power to determine if an act is within the legal definition of an act that is punishable by civil penalties. Additionally the Office of Chief Counsel's security division reviews all reports received by regional offices to determine legality prior to assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the regional and field levels ensures that the time-consuming, costly civil penalty process is applied only in cases that are truly deserving of the effect of a civil fine.

A rail worker must be aware of rules and regulations that govern his or her actions, and not knowingly violate those rules to commit a civil penalty-worthy offense. The agency does not believe that a person who acts upon a directive from a supervisor has committed a willful offense. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire system that transports passengers and goods between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad in the steel mill is not considered to be part of the overall 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 oversees railway finance, including loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvement. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies for improving the rail system of the United States. This includes ensuring the existing rail infrastructure and services and addressing the need for new capacity, strategically expanding the network, as well as coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.

The agency is responsible for freight transportation but also supervises passenger transportation. The agency is trying to connect people to destinations they desire and offer more options for travel. The agency is focused primarily on improving the experience of passengers as well as enhancing the safety of its existing fleet, and ensuring that the rail network continues operating efficiently.

Railroads must comply with many federal regulations, including those related to the size of the crews on trains. In recent years the issue has become a source of controversy. Some states have passed legislation requiring two-person teams on trains. This final rule codifies federally the minimum size of crew requirements, ensuring that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.

This also requires every railroad operating one-person train crews to inform FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will allow FRA to compare the parameters of each operation to those of a two-person standard crew operation. Additionally this rule will change the standard of review for an approval petition that is based on to determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether approving the operation is safer or more secure than a two-crewmember operation.

During the public comment period on this rule, a lot of people expressed support for the requirement for a two-person crew. In a form letter 29 people expressed their concern that a single crewmember would not be capable of responding as quickly to incidents or train malfunctions at grade crossings, or assist emergency response personnel on an elevated highway crossing. The commenters emphasized that human factors are responsible for more than half railroad accidents and they believe that a larger crew could help ensure the safety of both the train and the cargo it transports.

Technology

Trains for passenger and freight use different technologies to increase efficiency, increase security, and increase safety. The rail industry lingo contains a myriad of unique terms and acronyms, however, some of the most notable 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 only able to replace certain jobs. It allows people to perform their jobs more effectively and with greater security. Passenger railroads are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations such as autonomous rail cars are getting closer to becoming reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote secure, reliable, and affordable transportation in the United States, is focused on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollar effort that will see tunnels and bridges restored as well as tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations rebuilt or upgraded. The FRA's rail improvement program will be significantly extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a key element in this effort. Recent National Academies review of the office found it excelled at engaging, maintaining communication and using inputs of a wide range of stakeholders. But it must concentrate on how its research helps the department achieve its primary strategic goal of ensuring the safe transportation of goods and people by railway.

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

FRA is interested in the development of an automated rail taxonomy, which is a standard that will clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that would be applicable to both rail and on-road transit vehicles. The agency will also need to know the level of safety risk that the industry sees with implementing fully automated operation and whether or not the industry is considering adding additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

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

One of the most renowned innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC), which will inhibit collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks that shouldn't be and other accidents that result from human error. The system is comprised of three parts consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive; and a massive server that collects and analyses data.

Passenger railroads also embrace technology to enhance safety and security. Amtrak is one example. It is testing the use of drones to help train security staff locate passengers and other items in an emergency. The company is also examining ways to make use of drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is another technology that can be utilized in railways for passengers. It is able to detect objects or people on tracks and notify drivers if it is unsafe to continue. These kinds of technology are especially beneficial in detecting unsafe crossings and other problems during off-hours, when traffic is at its lowest and fewer people are around to witness an fela accident attorney.

Telematics is another important technological advancement in the rail industry. It lets railways, shippers, and other stakeholders, to monitor a traincar in real-time. Railcar operators and crews will benefit from increased accountability and transparency which can help them to increase efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays when delivering freight.