The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology
The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for safety regulations for rail and enforcement, as well as funding for rail, and research on rail improvement strategies.
FRA field inspectors use discretion to determine which cases merit the precise and time-consuming civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that the violations most deserving of punishment are punished.
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 implements a variety of safety measures to ensure the health of its employees and public. It formulates and enforces safety regulations for rail and oversees the funding for rail. It also researches strategies for improving rail and technology. It also develops and implements a strategy to ensure that current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically develops and improves the national rail network. The department requires that all rail companies adhere to strict guidelines, empower their employees and provide them with tools to be secure and productive. This includes participation in the secure close call reporting system, establishing occupational health and safety committees, with full union participation and protection against retaliation and providing employees with personal safety equipment.
Inspectors of the FRA are at the leading edge of enforcing rail safety regulations and laws. They perform routine inspections on equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Civil penalties are imposed on those who violate railroad safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have a broad discretion to determine if violations fall within the definition provided by law of an act punishable by civil penalties. Additionally, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division examines all reports submitted from regional offices to determine their legality before determining penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the field and regional levels ensures that the exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is used only in those situations that truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty.
Rail employees must be aware of rules and regulations that govern their actions, and not knowingly violate those guidelines to be guilty of a civil penalty-worthy offence. The agency doesn't consider that a person who acts on a supervisor's directive is guilty of committing a willful crime. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire network over which goods and passengers travel within cities and metropolitan areas and between them. The trackage of a plant railroad within a steelmill is not considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, despite the fact that it is physically connected.
Regulation
The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, ranging from those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency manages railway finance, including grants and loan for infrastructure and service improvement. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies for improving the rail system of the United States. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for new capacity, expanding the network strategically and coordinating the national and regional system planning and development.
While most of the agency's work is focused on freight transportation, it also handles passenger transportation. The agency is working to connect people to the destinations they desire and offer more choices for travel. The agency is focused on improving the experience for passengers as well as enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and making sure that the rail network is operating efficiently.
Railroads must comply with a range of federal regulations, including the ones pertaining to the size and composition of crews on trains. This issue has become a controversial one in recent years, with some states passing legislation to require two-person crews on trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum crew size requirements, ensuring that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.
This law also requires that each railroad that has a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will enable FRA to evaluate the characteristics of each operation with the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the review standard of a special approval request from determining whether an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is safer or less risky than a two-person crew operation.
During the time of public comments for this rule, a large number of people expressed their support for a requirement of two persons on the crew. A letter from 29 individuals emphasized their concerns that a single crew member would 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 larger team could ensure the security of the train as well as its cargo.
Technology
Freight and passenger rails use a variety of technologies to increase efficiency, enhance security, and improve safety. Rail industry jargon includes many unique terms and acronyms. Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems (also called drones), instrumented rail-inspection systems, driverless train, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as drones).
Technology doesn't just replace some jobs. It empowers people to perform their jobs more effectively and with greater security. Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards in order to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of their system. Other developments, like autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to becoming reality.
As part of its ongoing effort to advance 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 dollars effort that will see tunnels and bridges repaired, tracks and power systems upgraded and stations rebuilt or replaced. The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will significantly expand the agency's rail improvements programs.
The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key component in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it excelled at engaging, maintaining communication using inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. But it still needs to be more focused on how its research contributes to the department's primary strategic goal of ensuring safe movement of goods and people by rail.
One area in which the agency might be able to increase its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the development of automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the main industry association for the freight rail industry that focuses on research policy, standard-setting and policy, established the Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to help establish standards for the industry.
The FRA is interested in the group’s creation of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles, a system that defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This would apply to both rail transit and vehicles on the road. The agency will also be looking to understand the level of risk to safety that the industry perceives associated when implementing a fully automated system and whether the industry is considering adding additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.
Innovation
Railroads are adopting technology to increase worker safety and improve business processes. efficient, and ensure that the freight that they transport arrives at its destination safely. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight, to new railcar designs that help keep dangerous cargo safe during transportation. Some of these technologies enable railroads to dispatch emergency responders directly to sites of accidents to minimize risk and minimize damages to property and individuals.
One of the most well-known 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, and other accidents that result from human errors. The system is comprised of three components consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive; and a huge server that gathers and analyzes data.
Trains for passengers are also adopting technology to enhance security and safety. Amtrak for instance, is experimenting with the use of drones in order to help train security personnel locate passengers and other items in the event of an emergency. The company is also examining ways to utilize drones. They could be used to examine bridges and other infrastructure, or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb.
Smart track technology is another technology that can be utilized in railways for passengers. It is able to detect objects or people on tracks and warn drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized or other issues during the evenings when traffic is less and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.
fela accident attorney in the rail industry is telematics, which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to see the status and condition of a traincar via real-time tracking. These capabilities give railcar owners and crews greater control and visibility. They can also aid in improving efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays in the delivery of freight to customers.