The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology
The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for the safety of rail, regulations and enforcement, rail funding, and research on improving rail strategies.
FRA inspectors on the ground employ discretion to decide which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty process. This discretion helps ensure that the most serious violations of punishment are punished.
SMART-TD, along with its allies, made history by 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two people should be allowed to sit in the locomotive cabs of freight trains. The fight isn't over.
Safety
The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to protect the health and welfare of employees as well as the general public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also manages the funding for rail and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technologies. It also creates, implements and maintains a plan for maintaining the current infrastructure and services for rail. It also works to expand and improve the national rail network. The department demands that all rail companies adhere to strict guidelines that empower their employees and provide them with the tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes participating in the confidential close call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational health and safety committees with full participation from unions and anti-retaliation protections and providing employees with needed personal safety equipment.
FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct hundreds of investigations into complaints of noncompliance. Those who violate the rail safety laws could be subject to civil penalties. Safety inspectors from the agency have a broad discretion to determine if 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 that regional offices submit to determine if they are legal before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion both at the regional and field levels ensures that the lengthy, time-consuming civil penalty process is applied only in situations that are truly deserving of the effect of a civil penalty.
A rail worker must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions and be aware of the guidelines to commit a criminal offense that is punishable by a civil penalty. However fela railroad settlements doesn't take any person who follows a directive from a supervisor to have committed an intentional violation. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the whole network that carries goods and passengers within and between cities and metropolitan areas. The trackage of a plant railroad at the steel mill isn't considered to be part of the overall rail system of transportation, even being physically connected to it.
Regulation
The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing regulations for trains, such as those relating to safety and the movement of dangerous substances. The agency manages rail finance, which includes loans and grants for service and infrastructure improvement. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's railroad system. This includes ensuring the existing rail infrastructure and services and addressing the need for new capacity, strategically expanding the network, and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development.
Although the majority of the agency's activities are focused on freight transportation, it also manages the transportation of passengers. The agency is working to offer more options for passengers and connect people with the places they'd like to go. The agency is focused on improving the experience for passengers as well as improving the safety of the existing fleet, and making sure that the rail network continues to operate efficiently.
Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, including those related to the size of the crews on trains. In recent times the issue has been a source of contention. Some states have passed legislation that requires two-person crews in trains. The 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 law also requires that each railroad operating with a crew of one notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will allow FRA to better understand the specifics of each operation and compare them to the typical two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the criteria for reviewing an approval request that is a special case from determining whether an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety to determining if the operation is as secure or safer than two-person crew operation.
During the public comment period on this rule, a large number of people backed the requirement of a two-person crew. A letter from 29 people expressed their concern that a lone crewmember could not be as quick to respond to issues with trains or grade crossing incidents or assist emergency responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. The commenters emphasized that human factors are responsible for more than half of all railroad accidents, and they think that a bigger crew could help ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.
Technology
Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ a wide array of technologies to increase efficiency, improve security, improve safety and much more. The language used in the rail industry includes a variety of distinct terms and acronyms however, some of the most significant developments include machine vision systems, instrumented rail inspection systems, driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly called drones).
Technology doesn't just replace some jobs. It allows people to perform their jobs more effectively and more safely. Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards to increase ridership and increase the efficiency of their system. Other innovations, such as autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to becoming a reality.
The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure secure reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in the United States is focusing on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar effort will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems and tracks updated and stations rebuilt or replace. The FRA's rail improvements program will be significantly increased by the recently approved bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a crucial component in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office revealed that it excelled at engaging, maintaining communication with and using inputs from a variety of stakeholders. It is still required to focus on how its research contributes to the department's primary goal of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods via rail.
The agency could increase its effectiveness by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR), the primary industry association for the freight rail industry that is focused on research and policy, as well as standard setting created an Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping establish standards for the industry.
FRA will be interested in the development of an automated rail taxonomy, a system of standards to clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that will be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will also be looking to know the level of safety risk that the industry sees with implementing fully automated operation and whether or not the industry is contemplating additional protections to minimize the risk.
Innovation
Rail companies are adopting new technologies to improve worker safety, boost efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the cargo they transport arrives at its destination intact. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight, to new railcar designs that help keep dangerous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies allow railroads send emergency responders directly to the scene of an accident to minimize risk and damage to property and people.
Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most significant developments in rail. It will prevent train-to-train accidents, situations where trains are on track they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human error. The system is a three-part process consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train and wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a massive backend server that gathers and analyzes data.
Trains for passengers are also adopting technology to bolster security and safety. Amtrak is one example. It is experimenting with the use of drones to assist train security personnel locate passengers and other items in the event of an emergency. The company is also looking into different ways to use drones, for instance, using drones to conduct inspections of bridges as well as other infrastructure, for example, replacing the lighting on railway towers, which can be hazardous for workers to climb.
Other technologies that can be utilized for railways for passengers include smart track technology, which can detect the presence of people or objects on the tracks and issue drivers with a warning if it's unsafe to travel. These kinds of technologies are particularly beneficial in detecting unsafe crossings as well as other issues that can arise during off-hours, when traffic levels are lower and fewer people are around to witness an accident.
Another important technological breakthrough in the rail industry is telematics which enables railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to see the condition and status of a traincar through real-time tracking. These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews greater accountability and transparency and aid in improving efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in delivering freight to customers.