Notes

What's Holding Back This Federal Railroad Industry?
The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

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

FRA field inspectors use discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the precise and time-consuming civil penalty process. This discretion helps ensure that those violations most deserving of punishment are penalized.

Allies and members of SMART-TD made history in 2024 when they began pushing the FRA to ensure that two people are in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight isn't over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a range 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 safety regulations for rail. It also manages rail funding and studies rail improvement strategies and technology. It also develops and implements a strategy to ensure the current infrastructure, rail services and capacity and strategically expands and enhances the national rail network. The department expects all railroad employers to adhere to strict rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with tools to be successful and secure. This includes participating in a confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees, with full union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the needed personal protective gear.

FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of the rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations into complaints of noncompliance. Anyone who is in violation of the safety rules for rail can be punished with civil penalties. The agency's safety inspectors have a broad discretion on whether a particular violation meets the statutory description of a civil penalty-worthy act. In addition, the Office of Chief Counsel's security division examines all reports submitted from regional offices to determine their legality before determining penalties. This discretion is exercised at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied when they are necessary.


To be considered guilty of a civil offense, a rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations governing the conduct of his or her employees. They must also knowingly not adhere to these rules. The agency does not believe an individual who acted on a supervisor's directive has committed a willful offence. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system over which goods and passengers travel within metropolitan areas or between them. A plant railroad's trackage in the steel mill isn't considered to be part of the general transportation system that trains, even being physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations, such as those relating to safety and the movement of hazardous substances. The agency is responsible for managing railway finance, including grants and loan for infrastructure and service improvement. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to devise strategies for improving the rail system of the United States. This includes maintaining current rail services and infrastructure, addressing the need for new capacity strategically expanding the network and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development.

The agency is responsible for freight transport, but also oversees passenger transport. The agency is working to offer more options for passenger travel and connect passengers with the places they'd like to travel to. The agency is focused primarily on improving the passenger's experience, enhancing safety of the existing fleet and ensuring the rail network continues operating efficiently.

Railroads are required to comply with a number of federal regulations, which include those relating to the size and composition of the train crews. In recent times, this issue has been a source of contention. Some states have passed legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies federally the minimum size of crew requirements, ensuring that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.

This rule also requires that every railroad operating with a crew of one notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will allow FRA to identify the specifics of each operation and compare them with those of a typical two-person crew operation. This rule also changes the standard for reviewing a special approval request to determine if an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety, to determining if the operation is safer or more secure than a two-person crew operations.

During the period of public comment on this rule, a number of people voiced their support for a requirement for two persons on the crew. In a letter to the editor 29 people expressed their concerns that a single member of the crew would not be able to respond with the speed required to respond to incidents or train malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency response personnel on a highway-rail level crossing. Commenters emphasized that human factors are the reason for more than half of all railroad accidents. They believe that a larger team will ensure the security of the train and its cargo.

Technology

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

Technology isn't just about replacing certain jobs. It helps people do their jobs better and safer. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards in order to boost ridership and make the system more efficient. Other innovations such as autonomous rail cars are getting closer to reality.

As part of 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 multi-billion-dollar project will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems, and tracks upgraded and stations being rebuilt or replaced. The FRA's rail improvements program will be significantly extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central piece in this effort. The most recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging with, maintaining communication and utilizing inputs from a variety of stakeholders. However, it needs to be more focused on how its research helps the department achieve its primary objective of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods by railway.

fela claims where the agency might be able improve its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the development of automated train technology and systems. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the principal industry association for the freight rail industry that focuses on research policy, standard-setting and policy and has established a Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to help develop standards within the industry.

The FRA is interested in the group's development of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles, a system that defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This could be applicable to both rail transit and on-road vehicles. The agency will need to know the amount of risk the industry sees in fully automated operation, as well as whether the industry is contemplating any additional measures to mitigate the risk.

Innovation

Railroads are using technology to boost worker safety and improve business processes. efficient and help ensure that the cargo it transports arrives at its destination intact. Examples of this technological advancement include the use of sensors and cameras to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that keep dangerous cargo safe during transport. Some of these technologies even offer railroads the ability to send emergency response personnel to the scene of an accident so they can swiftly reduce damage and reduce the risk to property and lives.

One of the most prominent innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC), which will inhibit collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks that shouldn't be and other accidents resulting from human mistakes. This system is made up of three parts consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive and a massive server that collects and analyses data.

Passenger railroads also embrace technology to increase security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist passenger security staff in locating passengers and items on board trains in case in an emergency. The company is also examining ways to use drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lighting on railway towers, which are dangerous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is a different technology that can be used in passenger railroads. It is able to detect people or objects on tracks and warn drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are especially 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 breakthrough in the rail industry. It lets railways, shippers, and other parties to monitor a traincar in real-time. These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews greater control and visibility. They can also aid in improving efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays in delivering freight to customers.

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