The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology
The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations It also provides rail funding and studies strategies for improving rail safety.
FRA inspectors on the ground make use of discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty process. This discretion helps to ensure that the most serious violations are penalized.
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 continues.
Safety
The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to protect the safety and health of its employees and the general public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also administers the funding for rail and conducts research on improvements to rail strategies and technological developments. It also develops plans, implements and maintains a plan for maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services. It also expands and improves strategically the rail network across the nation. fela lawsuit settlements requires all rail employers to adhere to strict rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with the tools to succeed and stay safe. This includes the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective equipment.
FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of rail safety regulations and laws. They perform routine inspections on equipment and conduct investigations into hundreds of complaints. Those who violate the rail safety laws could be penalized civilly. The safety inspectors of the agency have broad discretion over whether an incident falls within the statutory definition of a civil penalty-worthy act. Additionally, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety department examines all reports submitted from regional offices to determine their legality before determining penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the field and regional levels helps ensure that the time-consuming, costly civil penalty process is used only in those situations that are truly deserving of the effect of a civil fine.
A rail worker must be aware of rules and regulations that govern his or her actions, and not knowingly violate those rules to commit a criminal offense that is punishable by a civil penalty. However the agency doesn't take any person who follows a directive from a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system that allows passengers and goods to travel within metropolitan and city areas or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in a steelmill is not 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 regulations for trains including those related to safety and the movement of dangerous substances. The agency also oversees rail financing, including grants and loans for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies for improving the country's railroad system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the needs for additional capacity, expanding the network strategically, and coordinating regional and national system planning and development.
While the majority of the agency's work is focused on freight transportation, it also oversees the transportation of passengers. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passenger travel and connect passengers with the places they want to travel to. The agency's focus is on enhancing the experience for passengers as well as enhancing the safety of its current fleet, and making sure that the rail system continues to operate efficiently.
Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, relating to the size of the crews on trains. This is controversial in recent years, with several states passing legislation to require two-person crews on trains. The final rule codifies the minimum crew size requirements at the federal level, making sure that all railroads are held to the same safety standards.
This rule also requires each railroad that operates a single-person train crew to notify FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will allow FRA to identify the specifics of each operation and compare them to the parameters of a normal two-person crew operation. Additionally this rule alters the criteria for reviewing an approval petition that is based on determining whether the operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether approving the operation would be as safe or safer than a two-crewmember operation.
During the public comment period for this rule, a large number of people supported a two-person crew requirement. A letter from 29 people outlined their concerns that a lone crewmember could 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 factor are responsible for more than half all railroad accidents. They believe that a bigger crew will ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.
Technology
Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ various technologies to improve efficiency, improve security, increase safety and more. Rail industry jargon comprises a variety of unique terms and acronyms. Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems (also called drones) and rail-inspection systems that are instrumented driverless trains rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as drones).
Technology isn't just about replacing certain jobs. It allows people to perform their jobs more effectively and more safely. Railroads for passengers use apps on smartphones and contactless fare cards to increase ridership and increase the efficiency of their system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to reality.
As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable transportation for the nation 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 effort that will see tunnels and bridges repaired as well as tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations rebuilt or replaced. FRA's recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure law will substantially grow the agency's rail improvement programs.
The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central piece in this initiative. The most recent National Academies review of the office found it excelled at engaging with, maintaining communication and utilizing inputs of a wide range of stakeholders. It is still required to be aware of how its research contributes to the department's primary goal of ensuring safe movement of people and goods by rail.
The agency could increase its efficiency by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail association that focuses on research, policy, and standardization and has created a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to assist in the development of industry standards to implement the technology.
FRA will be interested in the group's development of an automated rail taxonomy. It is a system of standards to clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that could be applicable to both rail and on-road transit vehicles. The agency will also need to understand the level of risk to safety that the industry believes is associated with implementing fully automated operation and whether or not the industry is contemplating additional security measures to reduce the risk.
Innovation
Railroads are adopting technology to increase worker safety, make business processes more efficient and help ensure that the freight that they transport arrives at its destination in good condition. Examples of such innovations range from the use of sensors and cameras to track freight, to the latest railcar designs that keep dangerous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies allow railroads to dispatch emergency responders directly to sites of accidents 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 where they shouldn't be, as well as other accidents that are caused by human error. The system is comprised of three components consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive; and a massive server that gathers and analyzes data.
Trains for passengers are also adopting technology to improve security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist security staff in locating passengers and items on board trains in case of an emergency. The company is also examining ways to utilize 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 can detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and send an alert to drivers when it's unsafe to proceed. These kinds of technologies are particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized as well as other issues that can arise in the off-hours, when traffic is at its lowest and fewer people are around to witness an accident.
Another important technological breakthrough 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. Such capabilities give railcar operators and their crews more accountability and transparency and help them improve efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in delivering freight to customers.