The Federal Railroad Administration

The Federal Railroad Administration is among the 10 agencies of the DOT which are responsible for intermodal transportation. Its mission is enabling the secure and reliable transportation of both people and goods.

FRA field inspectors regularly inspect railroad tracks, signals and train control systems as well as operating procedures. They also investigate complaints.

Definition

A federal railroad is a railway in the United States that is controlled by the government. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, develops and enforces regulations governing railways and regulates funds for railroads, and conducts research to improve railway transportation. The FRA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's intermodal transportation division, and its top executives are the Administrator and the Deputy Administrator.

The agency is responsible for all freight and passenger transport that is conducted through the nation's rail network. The agency also coordinates the federal employers funding for rail transportation and assists in the rehabilitation of the Northeast Corridor passenger service. The agency also regulates ownership and operation of intermodal facilities like tracks, rights of way equipment, real estate, and rolling stock. It also coordinates federal rail transportation programs.

The FRA's responsibilities also include the establishment, through regulation and after an opportunity for comments an procedure that anyone can inform the Secretary of Homeland Security any railroad security problems or issues. Additionally, the FRA establishes policies and conducts inspections to determine the compliance of its rail safety regulations in six technical disciplines tracks, signal and train control motive power and equipment, operating practices, hazmat, and highway-rail grade crossings.

The agency is charged with the responsibility to make sure the rail transportation system is safe, economical, and environmentally friendly. In turn, the agency requires railroads to provide a safe working environment and provide the appropriate training to their employees. The agency also determines and enforces the cost of railroad services to ensure that the public is charged in a fair manner for transportation services.

The Federal Employers’ Liability Railroad Administration also enacts and enforces rules to prevent discrimination against railroad employees. They also shield whistleblowers from retaliation by railroad companies. The agency also has procedures for railroad employees can make complaints about the actions of the company.

The main goal of the FRA is to ensure the secure, reliable and efficient transportation of people and goods for a stronger America now and in future. The FRA accomplishes this through controlling rail safety, coordinating programs to assist railroads conducting research to support improving safety in the railroad industry and national transportation policy as well as coordinating the development of rail networks and assisting private companies manage railroads. In the past, railroads were essentially monopolies that had no competition. The railroad industry was able to abuse its dominant position in the market as a result. Therefore, Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission and other regulatory agencies to limit the abuses committed by railroad monopolies.

Purpose

Federal railroads are federal agencies that establish rules, regulate funds for rail and conduct research to improve rail transport in the United States. It is responsible for the railway infrastructure of the United States and oversees freight and passenger railroads. It is one of ten agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also tasked with maintaining and expanding existing rail systems, ensuring the capability of the railroad industry to meet increasing demand for freight and travel as well as providing leadership in regional and national system planning.

Safety is the main responsibility in rail transportation. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is in charge of this, and it has several divisions responsible for overseeing the country's freight and passenger rail operations. The Office of Railroad Safety is the largest, with around 350 inspectors. It is responsible for conducting safety inspections across six technical disciplines, including track signalling, and train control, motive and equipment, operating procedures, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.

FRA has various departments, including the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This department is responsible for programs aimed at improving freight and passenger rail transportation, like the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for the grants given to railways and works with other agencies in order to plan the nation's railway requirements.

The FRA also has a responsibility to enforce federal laws that pertain to railroads and their workers. This includes preventing railroads from discriminating against employees, and making sure that all injured railway employees receive transportation to the nearest hospital for first aid treatment. Railroads are also prohibited from delay or refuse medical treatment for injured railway employees.

The FRA is the primary regulator of the passenger and freight railway industries, but there are other agencies that oversee the economic aspects of rail transport. The Surface Transportation Board, for instance is responsible for setting rates and managing the economics of the sector. It has regulatory authority over mergers in the railroad industry and line sales construction and abandonment. After an open consultation period the agency is responsible for establishing rules that allow anyone to report any suspected safety issues with rail.

Functions

Railroads transport people and goods to and from cities in developed nations, as also remote villages in less-developed countries. They transport raw materials from processing and manufacturing facilities, and finished products from these facilities to stores or warehouses. Rail is an essential mode of transportation for a range of essential commodities like grains, oil and coal. In 2020, freight rail carried over a quarter of the nation's total freight volumes [PDF].

A federal railroad operates just like any other company with departments for marketing and sales, operations and an executive department. The marketing and sales department works with current and potential customers to determine the type of rail services they require and the amount they should cost. The operations department then creates the rail services that meet those requirements at the lowest possible cost to generate revenue for the railroad. The executive department oversees the entire operation and ensures that every department is operating efficiently.

The government helps the railways through a variety of methods such as grants and subsidised rates for government-owned traffic. Congress also offers funds to help construct new tracks and stations. These subsidies are usually in addition to the revenue the railroads earn from ticket sales and freight contracts.

In the United States, the government is the owner of the railway for passengers, Amtrak. It is a quasi public for-profit corporation, with the United States Government as a major stockholder.

The Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) primary purpose is to create and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This involves regulating the mechanical condition of trains as well as the safety and health of railroad employees. FRA also analyzes and collects data on rail safety to identify patterns and areas that might need improved or increased regulatory attention.

In addition to these core tasks, FRA works on various other projects aimed at improving the security and economy of rail transportation in the United States. For instance, the agency seeks to lower the obstacles that hinder railroads in implementing positive train control (PTC). PTC is a safety technology that uses sensors and computers to stop a train automatically when it is too close to an vehicle or object.

History

In the 1820s and 1830s, the first railroads in the United States were constructed, mostly in New England and Mid-Atlantic. Railroads significantly accelerated industrialization in these regions, and also brought more food products to the market. This development allowed the country to become more independent and less dependent on foreign imports, which contributed to a stronger economic base.

In the latter part of the 19th century the railroad industry enjoyed the benefits of a "Golden Age" in which new, more efficient raillines were constructed and passenger travel became popular. This was in large part because of the government's efforts to expand the railroad system. For example, the government gave land grants to homesteaders to encourage them to move to the West, and the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads joined forces to construct the first transcontinental railroad, which made it possible to travel from New York to San Francisco in six days.

However in the first half of the 20th century, the demand for passenger railroad services decreased and other modes of transport like automobiles and planes gained in popularity, while the stifling of regulations hindered railroads competitiveness economically. The industry was plagued by a succession of bankruptcy, service cuts, and deferred maintenance. Additionally, a misguided federal employers’ railway regulation caused the demise of the industry.

Around the year 1970, the federal authorities began to ease the restrictions on railroads' regulatory requirements. Surface Transportation Board was created to oversee economic aspects such as railroad rates and mergers. The Federal Railroad Administration was also created, which sets standards for rail safety and is one of the 10 agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation that supervises passenger and freight transportation.

Since then, the infrastructure of the railroads of the United States has seen a significant amount of investment. The Northeast Corridor has been rebuilt for instance, in order to allow for faster and more modern high-speed ground transportation (HSGT). There are also efforts to develop more efficient freight rail. In the future, FRA hopes to continue its partnership with all transportation agencies to ensure the safety and reliability of railroads. It is the job of FRA to ensure that the nation's transportation system is as efficient as it can be.