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What Freud Can Teach Us About Federal Railroad
The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for rail safety regulations and enforcement, rail funding, and research on improving rail strategies.

FRA inspectors on the ground employ discretion to decide which cases merit the time-consuming and precise civil penalty process. This helps ensure that the most serious violations are punished.

SMART-TD members and allies made history in 2024 when they began pushing the FRA to allow two people 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 health and welfare of its employees and the general public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing rail safety regulations. It also administers rail funding, and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technologies. It also formulates plans, implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of the current infrastructure and services for rail. It also develops and improves the rail network across the nation. The department requires that all rail employers adhere to strict guidelines, empower their employees and provide them with the tools to be secure and productive. This includes participating in an anonymous close-call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational safety and health committees, with full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and giving employees the necessary personal protective equipment.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations of complaints of non-compliance. Civil penalties are imposed on those who violate the rail safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have wide discretion to determine if a violation falls under the statutory definition of an act that is punishable by civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also scrutinizes the reports submitted by regional offices to determine if they are legal before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the field and regional levels ensures that the exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is applied only in cases that truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty.

To be guilty of a civil infringement, a rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern their actions. They must also be aware of and not adhere to these rules. 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 network that allows passengers and goods to travel within metropolitan areas and between them. The trackage of a plant railroad at the steel mill isn't considered part of the general transportation system that trains even though it is physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, including those pertaining to safety and movement of hazardous materials. The agency also oversees rail financing including loans and grants for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the rail system of the United States. This work includes maintaining current rail infrastructure and services and addressing the need for new capacity, strategically expanding the network, as well as coordinating regional and national systems 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 offer more options for passenger travel and connect people with the places they want to travel to. The agency is focused primarily on improving the experience of passengers as well as enhancing the safety of its current fleet, and making sure that the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads are required to abide with a range of federal regulations, which include those that deal with the size and composition of train crews. In recent years the issue has become controversial. Some states have passed legislation mandating two-person teams on trains. This final rule establishes federally the minimum size of crew requirements, making sure that all railroads follow the same safety standards.

This law also requires that each railroad operating a one-person crew notify FRA and submit a risk analysis. This will allow FRA to assess the requirements of each operation to those of a two-person standard crew operation. In addition this rule alters the criteria for reviewing an approval petition that is based on to determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining if approving the operation is secure or as safe as an operation with two crew members.

During the period of public comment on this rule, a large number of people expressed their support for a requirement for two people on the crew. In a form letter 29 people voiced their concern that a single member of the crew will not be able to respond as quickly to incidents or train malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency personnel on an elevated highway crossing. Commenters pointed out that human factors are responsible for more than half of all railroad accidents. They believe that a bigger crew could ensure the security of the train as well as its cargo.

Technology

Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ a wide array of technologies to increase efficiency, add safety, boost security and more. The rail industry lingo includes many specific terms and acronyms, but some of the more significant developments include machine vision systems, instrumented rail inspection systems, driverless trains, rolling data centers, and drones that are not piloted (commonly known as drones).

Technology isn't merely replacing jobs, it's also empowering people to do their job more effectively and safely. Railroads that transport passengers use smartphones and contactless fare cards to increase passengership and boost the efficiency of their system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to becoming a 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, power systems and tracks updated and stations renovated 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 element in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office revealed that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communication with inputs from a broad range of stakeholders. But it still needs to be more focused on how its research contributes to the department's primary objective of ensuring the safe transportation of goods and people by railway.

The agency could enhance its effectiveness by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the principal industry association for the freight rail industry, which is focused on research, policy and standard setting, established a Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to help create standards within the industry.

FRA will be interested in the group's creation of an automated rail taxonomy, 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 would like to know the amount of risk the industry perceives with fully automated operation, as well as whether the industry is considering additional safeguards to minimize that risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are adopting technology to increase worker safety, boost efficiency in business processes and ensure that the cargo they transport arrives at its destination in good condition. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight, to new railcar designs that help keep dangerous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies offer railroads the ability to dispatch emergency personnel to locations of accidents so they can swiftly mitigate risks to property and lives.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most important innovations in rail. It will keep train-to-train accidents out of the way, as well as situations when trains are in a position they shouldn't be, and other accidents caused by human errors. The system is a three-part system consisting of onboard locomotive systems that track the train and wayside networks that connect with the locomotive and a massive backend server that analyzes and collects data.


Trains for passengers also adopt technology to enhance safety and security. Amtrak, for example, is experimenting with drones to help security personnel on trains locate passengers and items in an emergency. The company is also examining ways to use drones. They could be used to examine bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb.

fela claims railroad employees is another technology that can be utilized in railways that transport passengers. It is able to detect people or objects on tracks and warn drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These kinds of technologies are particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized and other issues during off-hours, when traffic volumes are lowest and there are fewer people to witness an accident.

Telematics is yet another significant technological advance in the rail industry. It lets railways, shippers, and other stakeholders, to track a traincar in real-time. Railcar operators and crews will benefit from increased accountability and transparency, which will help them increase efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help avoid delays when delivering freight.

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