So , You've Bought Federal Railroad ... Now What? The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail, provides rail funding and conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure.

FRA field inspectors employ discretion to determine which cases merit the precise and time-consuming civil penalty process. This helps ensure that the most serious violations are punished.

SMART-TD, along with its allies, made history in 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be in the cabs of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration implements a variety of safety measures to ensure the health of employees as well as 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 plans, implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of current rail services and infrastructure. It also works to expand and improve the rail network across the nation. The department demands that all rail companies adhere to strict guidelines, empower their employees and provide them with the tools to be safe and successful. This includes participating in the secure close call reporting system, setting up occupational health and safety committees, with full participation from unions and anti-retaliation safeguards, and providing employees with needed personal safety equipment.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations into complaints of non-compliance. Civil penalties are handed out to those who violate rail safety laws. The safety inspectors of the agency have a broad discretion on whether a particular violation meets the statutory definition of a criminal penalty-worthy act. The Office of Chief Counsel’s safety division also examines the reports that regional offices submit to determine if they are legal prior to imposing penalties. This discretion is exercised at both the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used when they are necessary.

To be considered guilty of a civil offense an employee of a railroad must know the rules and regulations governing the conduct of his or her employees. They must also be aware of and disregard these standards. However the agency does not consider anyone who is acting under a direction by a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire network that carries goods and passengers within and between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad within the steelmill isn't considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, even though it's physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations, such as those relating to safety and the transportation of dangerous substances. The agency is responsible for managing rail finance, which includes loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvement. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and the industry to develop strategies for improving the nation's railroad system. This includes ensuring the existing rail infrastructure and services as well as in addition to addressing the need for additional 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 handles passenger transportation. The agency aims to connect people with the destinations they desire and offer more alternatives for travel. The agency is focused on improving the experience for passengers, increasing the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring the railway system continues to function efficiently.

Railroads must abide by a variety of federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of crews on trains. In recent times this issue has become a source of controversy. Some states have passed legislation mandating two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies the minimum crew size requirements at a federal level, ensuring that all railroads are subject to the same safety standards.

This rule also requires each railroad that has 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 the standard two-person crew operation. In addition this rule will change the criteria for reviewing a special approval petition from to determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether approving the operation is safer or more secure than an operation with two crew members.

During the public comment period on this rule, many people expressed support for a two-person crew requirement. In a letter to the editor 29 people expressed their concerns that a single crewmember would not be capable of responding as quickly to train accidents or malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency response personnel on the highway-rail level crossing. Commenters emphasized that human factors are responsible for more than half of all railroad accidents. They believe that a larger team will ensure the safety of the train as well as its cargo.

Technology

Trains for passenger and freight use various technologies to increase efficiency, increase security, and improve safety. The rail industry lingo contains a myriad of specific terms and acronyms, however, some of the most notable innovations include machine vision systems, instrumentsed rail inspection systems, driverless trains rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly known as drones).

Technology isn't just replacing some jobs; it's helping people to perform their jobs better and safer. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards to increase ridership and make the system more efficient. Other innovations such as autonomous rail cars are getting closer to becoming reality.

As fela railroad settlements of its ongoing efforts to advance 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-dollar initiative that will see bridges and tunnels restored, tracks and power systems upgraded and stations rebuilt or replaced. FRA's recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically increase the agency's rail improvement programs.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is an essential component in this effort. The most recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging with, maintaining communication and utilizing inputs from a variety of stakeholders. However, it needs to be more focused on how its research contributes to the department's primary objective of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people via rail.

The agency could improve its effectiveness by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail association that focuses on research, policy, and standard-setting, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help in developing industry standards to implement the technology.


The FRA is interested in the group’s development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently different levels of automation. This could apply to both rail transit and on-road vehicles. The agency will also need to know the level of risk to safety that the industry believes is associated with implementing fully automated operation and whether the industry is contemplating additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are adopting technology to enhance worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes and ensure that the freight they transport is delivered intact. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight to new railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transportation. Some of these technologies enable railroads to dispatch emergency responders directly to accident sites to minimize the danger and minimize the damage to property and people.

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

Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to enhance safety and security. Amtrak is one example. It is experimenting with the use of drones to assist train security personnel locate passengers and items in an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to utilize drones. They could be used to inspect bridges and other infrastructure, or to replace the lighting on railway towers, which are dangerous for workers to climb.

Other technologies that could be utilized for passenger railroads include smart track technology, which is able to detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and issue a warning to drivers if it's unsafe for them to proceed. These technologies are particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized or other problems in the evenings when the traffic is lower and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.

Telematics is another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry. It lets railways, shippers, and other parties to follow a traincar's progress in real-time. Traincar crews and operators will benefit from increased accountability and visibility which can help them to increase efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays when delivering freight.