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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

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

FRA inspectors on the ground use discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the lengthy and precise civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that the most serious violations are penalized.

Allies and members of SMART-TD have made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to allow two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration implements a variety of safety measures to safeguard the health of its employees and public. It is responsible for establishing and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also manages rail funding, and studies rail improvement strategies and technology. It also creates, implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of current rail services and infrastructure. It also expands and improves strategically the national rail network. The department expects all rail companies to abide by strict rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with the tools to succeed and stay safe. This includes participating in an anonymous close-call reporting system, establishing 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 on the front lines of enforcement of rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties can be applied to those who break fela claims railroad employees 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 crime that is punishable by civil penalties. In addition, the Office of Chief Counsel's security division examines all reports submitted by regional offices to determine legality prior to assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used in situations that warrant them.

To be convicted of a civil offense the employee of a rail company must be aware of the rules and regulations governing the conduct of his or her employees. They must also knowingly ignore these rules. The agency doesn't consider that an individual who acts upon a directive from a supervisor has committed a willful offense. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the whole network that passengers and goods travel within metropolitan areas or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad within the steelmill isn't considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, despite the fact that it's physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing regulations for trains including those related to safety and the transportation of dangerous substances. The agency manages rail finance, including grants and loan for infrastructure and service improvement. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's rail system. This includes maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for new capacity, expanding the network strategically and coordinating regional and national system's development and planning.

The agency is responsible for freight transportation but also oversees passenger transport. The agency is trying to connect people with the places they want and provide more choices for travel. The agency's primary focus is on enhancing the experience for passengers, enhancing safety of the existing fleet and ensuring the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads are required to abide with a range of federal regulations, which include the ones pertaining to the size and composition of the train crews. In recent times this issue has become a source of controversy. Certain states have passed legislation mandating two-person crews in trains. This final rule codifies the minimum requirements for crew size at the federal level, making sure that all railroads are subject to consistent safety standards.

This rule also requires each railroad that operates a single-person train crew to notify FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will allow FRA to better understand the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. In addition this rule will change the criteria for reviewing 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 an operation with two crew members.

During the period of public comments for this rule, a number of people voted for a requirement of a two person crew. In a formal letter, 29 people expressed their concern that a single member of the crew is not able to respond in a timely manner to train malfunctions or incidents at grade crossings or assist emergency personnel on the highway-rail level crossing. Commenters emphasized that human factors are the reason for more than half all railroad accidents. They believe that a larger crew will ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.

Technology

Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ various technologies to increase efficiency, add safety, boost security and more. Rail industry jargon comprises many specific terms and acronyms. Some of the most well-known include machine vision systems (also known as drones), instrumented rail-inspection systems, driverless train, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicle (also known as drones).

Technology doesn't just replace some jobs. It empowers people to perform their jobs more effectively and safer. Passenger railroads are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and make the system more efficient. Other developments, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to becoming reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote safe, reliable, and affordable transportation in America is focusing on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar project will see tunnels, bridges, tracks and power systems updated, and stations being rebuilt or replaced. The FRA's rail improvement program will be significantly expanded by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key element in this effort. The National Academies' recent review of the office found that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communication with and using inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. It still needs to be aware of how its research contributes towards the department's primary objective of ensuring safe movement of people and goods via railways.

One area where the agency could be able to increase its effectiveness is in identifying and assisting the advancement of automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail industry organization that focuses on research, policy and standard-setting, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help develop industry standards for implementing the technology.

FRA will be interested in the group's development of an automated rail taxonomy. It is a standardization system that can clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that could be applicable to both rail and on-road transit vehicles. The agency would like to know the amount of risk that the industry is assessing with fully automated operation, and whether the industry is considering additional safeguards to minimize that risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are adopting new technologies to improve worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the freight they transport arrives at its destination in good condition. Examples of this innovation include the use of cameras and sensors to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that help keep hazardous cargo secure during transit. Certain of these technologies allow railroads to send emergency response personnel to areas of accidents so that they can swiftly mitigate damage and reduce the risk to property and lives.

One of the most renowned innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC), which will inhibit train-to-train collisions, situations where trains are on tracks that shouldn't be, and other accidents resulting from human mistakes. The system is comprised of three parts: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a massive server that collects and analyses data.

Railroads that transport passengers are also embracing technology to enhance security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to assist passenger security personnel in locating passengers and other items onboard trains in case in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to use drones. They could be used to examine bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lights on railway towers, which are dangerous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is a different technology that can be utilized in railways that transport passengers. It is able to detect objects or people on tracks and warn drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are particularly effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other issues in the evenings when the traffic is lower and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.

Telematics is another important technological advance in the railway industry. It allows railways, shippers and other stakeholders, to monitor a traincar in real-time. Traincar crews and operators can benefit from greater accountability and visibility which will allow them to improve efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays when delivering freight.