The federal employers Railroad Administration and Technology

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

FRA field inspectors make use of discretion to determine which cases warrant the exact and time-consuming civil penalty process. This ensures that the violations most deserving of punishment are penalized.

Allies and members of SMART-TD made history in 2024 when they began pushing the FRA to allow two people in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains. The fight isn't over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a range of safety measures in place to protect the health and safety of employees and the public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing rail safety regulations. It also administers rail funding and studies rail improvement strategies and technological developments. It also creates and implements a plan to ensure the current infrastructure, services, and capacity and strategically expands and improves the nation's rail network. The department expects that all rail operators adhere to strict regulations, empower their employees and provide them with tools to be safe and successful. This includes taking part in the confidential close call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational health and safety committees, with full union participation and anti-retaliation protections and providing employees with needed personal safety equipment.

FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of the rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Anyone who violates rail safety laws may be punished with civil penalties. Safety inspectors from the agency have a wide discretion to determine whether an act is within the definition provided by law of an act punishable with civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also examines all reports that regional offices submit to ensure they are legal before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the regional and field levels helps ensure that the exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is utilized only in cases which truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty.

A rail worker must be aware of rules and regulations that govern their actions, and not knowingly violate those standards to be guilty of a civil penalty-worthy offence. The agency doesn't consider that an individual who acts in response to a supervisor's direction is guilty of committing a willful crime. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire system that carries goods and passengers within and between metropolitan areas and cities. A plant railroad's trackage in a steel mill is not considered to be part of the overall transportation system that trains, even although it is physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing regulations for trains that pertain to safety and the movement of dangerous substances. The agency also manages financing for rail, including grants and loans for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's rail system. This work includes maintaining existing rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for new capacity, strategically expanding the network, and coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.

While the majority of the agency's activities are focused on freight transportation, it also oversees passenger transportation. The agency is working to provide more options for passenger travel and connect people to the places they'd like to travel to. The agency is focused on enhancing the passenger experience and increasing the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring that the rail network continues to operate efficiently.

Railroads must comply with a number of federal regulations, including those that deal with the size and composition of crews on trains. In recent times this issue has become controversial. Certain states have passed legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. The final rule codifies the minimum size of crew requirements at the federal level, making sure that all railroads are subject to consistent safety standards.

This rule also requires that each railroad operating a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will allow FRA to compare the parameters of each operation to those of a two-person standard crew operation. This rule also changes the review standard of an application for special approval to determine if an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety to determining if the operation is as secure or more secure than a two-person crew operation.

During the public comment period on this rule, a large number of people supported the requirement of a two-person crew. A letter written by 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member would not be as quick to respond to issues with trains or grade crossing incidents or assist emergency responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. The commenters noted that human factors account for more than half railroad accidents and believe that a larger crew will ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.

Technology

Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ numerous technologies to increase efficiency, improve security, improve safety and much more. The rail industry vernacular includes many distinct terms and acronyms however, some of the most 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 just about replacing certain jobs. It helps people perform their jobs better and more safely. Passenger railroads are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other developments, like autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure secure reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in America, is focused on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar effort will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems, and tracks upgraded and stations renovated or replaced. The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will significantly grow the agency's rail improvement programs.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central element in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it was successful in engaging, maintaining communications with inputs from a broad range of stakeholders. It must continue to be aware of how its research contributes to the department's primary goal of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods via rail.

One area where the agency might be able to increase its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the development of automated train technology and systems. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the principal industry association for the freight rail industry that focuses on research and policy, as well as standard setting, established a Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations in order to help develop standards within the industry.

The FRA is interested in the group’s development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This could be applicable to both rail transit and on-road vehicles. The agency will also want 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 considering additional protections to minimize the risk.

Innovation

Railroads are using technology to increase worker safety, make business processes more efficient and help ensure that the cargo it transports arrives at its destination intact. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies enable railroads to dispatch emergency personnel directly to sites of accidents to minimize danger and minimize the damage to property and people.

One of the most prominent innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC) which will prevent train-to-train collisions, situations where trains are on tracks that shouldn't be, as well as other accidents resulting from human errors. It is a three-part system consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train, wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive, and a huge backend server that gathers and analyzes data.

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

Smart track technology is a different technology that can be utilized in railways that transport passengers. It can detect people or objects on tracks and warn motorists that it is not safe to continue. These technologies are especially useful for detecting unauthorized crossings or other problems in the evenings when traffic is less and there are less witnesses to an accident.

Another important technological advancement in the rail industry is telematics which allows railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to monitor the condition and status of a traincar by real-time tracking. Crews and railcar operators will benefit from increased accountability and visibility, which will help them to improve efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help reduce delays when delivering freight.