The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology
The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for rail safety regulations and enforcement, rail funding, and research on improving rail strategies.
FRA inspectors on the ground use discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty procedure. This allows them to ensure that those violations most deserving of punishment are punished.
SMART-TD members and 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 has a variety of safety measures in place to ensure the health and welfare of employees and the public. It formulates and enforces rail safety regulations, administers rail funding and researches strategies for improving rail and technology. It also formulates plans, implements and maintains a plan for maintaining the current infrastructure and services for rail. It also works to expand and improve the rail network across the nation. The department expects all rail companies to adhere to strict rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with the tools to be successful and secure. This includes participation in the secure close call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational health and safety committees that have full union participation, as well as anti-retaliation protections and providing employees with needed personal protective equipment.
Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections on equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Civil penalties can be handed out to those who violate railroad safety laws. Safety inspectors from the agency have a broad discretion on whether an individual violation is in line with the statutory description of a criminal penalty-worthy act. In addition the Office of Chief Counsel's security division examines all reports submitted by regional offices to determine legal sufficiency before assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised both at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used when they are necessary.
To be considered guilty of a civil violation, a rail employee must know the rules and regulations that govern their actions. They also must be aware that they ignore these rules. However the agency doesn't consider anyone who acts under a directive from a supervisor as having committed a willful violation. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire system that carries goods and passengers within and between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad within the steel mill is not considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, even though it's physically connected.
Regulation
The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible to establish regulations for train operations that pertain to safety and the movement of dangerous substances. The agency manages rail finance, including loans and grants for service and infrastructure improvement. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the country's railroad system. This includes maintaining existing rail infrastructure and services, making sure that there is enough capacity, strategically expanding the network and coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.
While the majority of the agency's work focuses on freight transportation, it also manages passenger transportation. The agency aims to connect people to places they'd like to visit and offer more alternatives for travel. The agency is focused primarily on improving the experience of passengers and enhancing the safety of the existing fleet and ensuring the rail network is operating efficiently.
Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, including those related to the size of crews on trains. This is a controversial one in recent years, with some states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. The final rule codifies the minimum requirements for crew size at an international level, and ensures that all railroads are held to the same safety standards.
This rule also requires that every railroad operating a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will allow FRA to better identify the specific parameters of each operation and compare them to the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. In addition, this rule changes the review standard for a special approval petition from determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining if approving the operation is secure or as safe as a two-crewmember operation.
During the period of public comments for this rule, a lot of people expressed their support for a requirement of a two person crew. In a form letter 29 people expressed their concerns that a single crew member will not be able to respond as quickly to train malfunctions or incidents at grade crossings or assist emergency response personnel at a highway-rail level crossing. Commenters emphasized that human factors are the reason for a majority of railroad accidents. They believe that a larger team would ensure the security of the train as well as its cargo.
Technology
Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ various technologies to enhance efficiency, improve security, improve safety and more. Rail industry jargon covers a variety of distinct terms and acronyms. Some of the most notable include machine vision systems (also known as drones) instruments for rail-inspection systems driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicle (also called drones).
Technology isn't only able to replace certain jobs. It helps people perform their jobs better and more safely. fela lawsuit settlements for passengers use apps on smartphones and contactless fare cards to increase passengership and boost the efficiency of their system. Other developments like autonomous rail cars are coming closer to reality.
As part of its ongoing efforts to improve safe, reliable, and affordable transportation options for the country In its ongoing effort to ensure safe, reliable and affordable transportation for the nation, the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollars effort that will see bridges and tunnels restored as well as tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations reconstructed or replaced. FRA's recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will substantially increase the agency's rail improvement programs.
The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a key piece in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office revealed that it excelled at engaging, maintaining communications using inputs from a variety of stakeholders. It is still required to focus on how its research contributes towards the department's primary goal of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people by railways.
One area in which the agency may be able to increase its effectiveness is in identifying and assisting the advancement of automated train technology and systems. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the main industry association for the freight rail industry, which is focused on research policy, standard-setting and policy and has established the Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to help create standards within the industry.
The FRA is interested in the group's development of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently different levels of automation. This could apply to rail transit as well as vehicles on the road. The agency will also need to know the degree of safety risk that the industry sees when implementing a fully automated system and whether the industry is considering additional security measures to reduce the risk.
Innovation
Railroads are embracing technology to boost worker safety and improve business processes. efficient, and ensure that the freight that they transport arrives at its destination intact. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight, to new railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transport. Some of these technologies provide a way for railroads to dispatch emergency personnel to locations of accidents so they can swiftly reduce risks to property and lives.
Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most important innovations in rail. It can keep train-to-train accidents out of the way, as well as situations when trains are in a position they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human errors. It is a three-part system comprised of onboard locomotive systems that track the train, wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a huge backend server that gathers and analyzes data.
Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to bolster safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist passenger security staff in locating passengers and other items aboard trains in the event of an emergency. The company is also exploring ways to use 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.
Other technologies that can be utilized for passenger railroads include smart track technology, which is able to detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and send out drivers with a warning if it's unsafe to travel. These kinds of technology are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized and other issues during off-hours, when traffic levels are lower and there are fewer people around to witness an accident.
Another important technological advancement in the railway industry is telematics which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to monitor the condition and status of a traincar by real-time tracking. Traincar crews and operators can benefit from increased accountability and transparency, which will help them to increase efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and delay in the delivery of freight.