The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

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

FRA field inspectors use discretion to decide on which cases are worthy of the precise and lengthy civil penalty process. This discretion helps ensure that those violations most deserving of punishment are punished.

Members of SMART-TD and their allies made history in 2024 when they began pushing the FRA to ensure that two people are in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to ensure the health of employees as well as the public. It is responsible for establishing and enforcing safety regulations for rail. It also manages the funding for rail and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technologies. It also formulates and implements a strategy to maintain current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically develops and improves the national rail network. The department expects that all rail companies adhere to strict guidelines that empower their employees and provide them with the tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes taking part in the confidential close call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational health and safety committees with full participation from unions and protection against retaliation and providing employees with the necessary personal protective equipment.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the leading edge of enforcing rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Those who violate the rail safety laws could be punished with civil penalties. Safety inspectors from the agency have wide discretion to determine if violations fall within the statutory definition of an employers liability act fela that is punishable with civil penalties. Additionally, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety department examines all reports submitted by regional offices for legality before determining penalties. This discretion is exercised both at the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used in cases that warrant their use.

A rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions and be aware of the guidelines to commit a civil penalty-worthy offense. However the agency doesn't consider anyone who follows a directive from a supervisor as having committed a willful violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the whole network that passengers and goods travel within metropolitan areas and between them. A plant railroad's trackage in a steel mill is not considered part of the general transportation system that trains, even though it is physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible to establish regulations for train operations including those related to safety and the movement of hazardous substances. The agency also manages rail financing which includes loans and grants for infrastructure and improvements to service. The agency works with other DOT agencies and with industry to develop strategies to improve the country's railroad system. This includes maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for additional capacity, expanding the network strategically and coordinating national and regional system development and planning.

Although the majority of the agency's work is focused on freight transportation, it also oversees 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 on improving the experience for passengers and increasing the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring the railway system continues to function efficiently.

Railroads must comply with many federal regulations, relating to the size of the crews on trains. In recent years, this issue has become controversial. 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 each railroad operating a one-person train crew to inform FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will allow FRA to better identify the specifics of each operation and compare them to those of a normal two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the standard for reviewing an application for special approval from determining whether an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is as secure or less risky than a two-person crew operations.

During the public comment period for this rule, a lot of people backed the requirement of a two-person crew. A form letter sent by 29 individuals emphasized their concerns that a single crew member would not be as quick to respond to train malfunctions or grade crossing incidents, or assist emergency response personnel at a highway rail grade crossing. Commenters noted that human factors are the reason for more than half of all railroad accidents. They believe that a larger team could ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.

Technology

Trains for passenger and freight use different technologies to increase efficiency, improve security, and increase safety. Rail industry jargon includes many unique terms and acronyms. Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems (also called drones), instrumented rail-inspection systems driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (also called drones).

Technology isn't just about replacing certain jobs. It empowers people to perform their jobs better and more safely. Passenger railroads 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 moving closer to becoming a reality.

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

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central component of this effort. Recent National Academies review of the office found it excelled at engaging with, maintaining communication and utilizing inputs from a variety of stakeholders. It is still required to focus on how its research contributes to the department's main goal of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people by rail.

One area where the agency might be able improve its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the development of automated train technology and systems. The Association of American Railroads, the main freight rail industry association that focuses on research, policy and standard setting, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help develop industry standards to implement the technology.

FRA will be interested in the creation of an automated rail taxonomy, which is a standardization system that can clearly and consistently define 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 when implementing a fully automated system and whether or not the industry is considering additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are adopting technology to increase worker safety, increase efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the freight they transport is delivered in good condition. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight to innovative railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies provide a way for railroads to send emergency response personnel to the scene of an accident so they can swiftly mitigate risks to property and lives.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most important innovations in rail. It will stop train-to-train accidents, instances where trains are on track they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human error. This system consists of three parts of onboard locomotive systems that track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive; and a massive server that gathers and analyzes data.

Trains for passengers also adopt technology to enhance safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist security personnel in locating passengers and items on board trains in fela case settlements of an emergency. The company is also exploring other ways to use drones, for instance, using drones to inspect bridges and other infrastructure for example, replacing the lighting on railway towers that could be dangerous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is a different technology that can be used in railways that transport passengers. It can detect objects or people on tracks and notify drivers if it is unsafe to continue. These kinds of technologies can be particularly valuable for detecting unauthorized crossings as well as other issues that can arise in the off-hours, when traffic volumes are lowest and there are fewer people to witness an accident.

Another important technological breakthrough in the rail industry is telematics which allows railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to monitor the condition and status of a traincar via real-time tracking. These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews better accountability and visibility and can help them improve efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays in delivering freight to customers.