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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail The Federal Railroad Administration also provides funding for rail and studies strategies for improving rail safety.

FRA field inspectors use discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the precise and time consuming civil penalty process. This discretion helps ensure that the most serious violations of punishment are punished.

SMART-TD members and allies made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to keep two people in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to ensure the health of employees and public. It is responsible for creating and enforcing safety regulations for rail. It also oversees rail funding and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technological developments. It also creates, implements and maintains an action plan to maintain the current rail infrastructure and services. It also expands and improves strategically the rail network across the nation. The department expects that all rail companies adhere to strict regulations that empower their employees and provide them with tools to be safe and successful. This includes participating in an anonymous close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees that have full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective equipment.

FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of railway safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties may be imposed on those who violate the rail safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have wide discretion to determine whether a violation falls under the statutory definition of an offense that is punishable with civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also examines all reports submitted by regional offices to ensure that they are legal prior to imposing penalties. This discretion is exercised 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 infringement the employee of a rail company must know the rules and regulations governing the conduct of his or her employees. They also must be aware that they disregard these standards. The agency does not consider that a person who acts on a supervisor's directive has committed a willful offence. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the whole network that carries goods and passengers between cities and metropolitan areas. 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's physically connected.

Regulation

The federal employers’ liability Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations, such as those relating to safety and the movement of dangerous substances. The agency manages rail finance, including grants and loan to improve service and infrastructure. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies for improving the nation's railway 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 national and regional systems planning and development.

The agency is mostly responsible for freight transport, but also supervises passenger transportation. The agency is trying to connect people with the places they'd like to visit and offer more alternatives for travel. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience as well as enhancing the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring that the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads are required to comply with a variety of federal employers’ liability act regulations, including the ones pertaining to the size and composition of train crews. In recent times this issue has become a source of controversy. Some states have passed legislation mandating two-person teams on trains. This final rule codifies federally the minimum size crew requirements, ensuring that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.

This rule also requires each railroad operating a single-person train crew to inform FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will allow FRA to compare the parameters of each operation with the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. Additionally this rule alters the standard of review for a special approval petition from determining whether the operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether the operation would be as secure or as safe as a two-crewmember operation.

During the time of public comments for this rule, a number of people voiced their support for a requirement of a two person crew. In a letter to the editor 29 people voiced their concern that a single crewmember will not be in a position to respond with the speed required to respond to incidents or train malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency response personnel on the highway-rail level crossing. The commenters noted that human factors account for more than half of all railroad accidents and they think that a bigger crew will ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.

Technology

Freight and passenger railroads employ numerous technologies to increase efficiency, improve safety, boost security and more. Rail industry jargon comprises various unique terms and acronyms. Some of the most well-known include machine vision systems (also called drones) instruments for rail-inspection systems, driverless train, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicle (also called drones).

Technology isn't just replacing some jobs, it's also empowering people to perform their jobs more effectively and safely. Railroads for passengers use apps on smartphones and contactless fare cards to boost ridership and improve the efficiency of their system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to reality.

As part of its ongoing effort to improve safe, reliable, and affordable transportation options for the country The Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion-dollar initiative that will see bridges and tunnels repaired tracks, power systems and tracks upgraded, and stations rebuilt or upgraded. The 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 major element in this effort. The National Academies' recent review of the office found that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communications with inputs from a variety of stakeholders. But it must be more focused on how its research aids in the department's main strategic goal of ensuring safe movement of people and goods by railway.

The agency could increase its effectiveness by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR), the primary industry association for the freight rail industry that is focused on research policy, standard-setting and policy and has established a Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations in order to help establish standards for the industry.

The FRA is interested in the group's development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This would apply to rail transit as well as on-road vehicles. The agency will also be looking to understand the level of safety risk that the industry believes is associated with the introduction of fully automated operation and whether or not the industry is contemplating additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are adopting technology to enhance worker safety, increase efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the cargo they transport is delivered in good condition. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Some of these technologies allow railroads to dispatch emergency responders directly to the scene of an accident to minimize the risk and damage to property and people.

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

Railroads that transport passengers are also embracing technology to enhance safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to assist passenger security personnel in locating passengers and items on board trains in case in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also investigating different ways to use drones, including deploying drones to inspect bridges as well as other infrastructure, such as replacing the lighting on railway towers, which can be dangerous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is a different technology that is used in railways that transport passengers. It can detect people or objects on tracks and alert drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized or other issues in the evenings when the traffic is lower and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.

Another significant technological advance 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. These capabilities give railcar owners and their crews more accountability and transparency and assist them in improving efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays in delivering freight to customers.