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20 Resources That Will Make You More Efficient With Federal Railroad
The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

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

FRA field inspectors use discretion to decide on which cases merit the precise and time-consuming civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that the most serious violations are penalized.

Members of SMART-TD and their allies made history in 2024 when they began pushing the FRA to allow two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight continues.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to ensure the health and welfare of employees and the public. It develops and enforces safety regulations for rail as well as manages funding for rail and studies strategies for improving rail infrastructure and technology. It also develops and implements a strategy to maintain current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically develops and enhances the national rail network. The department requires all rail employers to adhere to strict rules and regulations, empower their employees and provide them with tools to be successful and safe. This includes an anonymous close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full union participation and antiretaliation provisions and giving employees the necessary personal protective gear.

FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of railway safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections on equipment and investigate complaints from hundreds of people. Anyone who is in violation of rail safety laws may be subject to civil penalties. The safety inspectors of the agency have broad discretion over whether a particular violation meets the statutory description of a crime that is punishable by civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also examines the reports submitted by regional offices to ensure they are legal before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the regional and field levels ensures that the time-consuming, costly civil penalty process is utilized only in cases which truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil fine.

To be guilty of a civil infringement, a rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations governing his or her actions. They also must be aware that they not adhere to these rules. However, the agency does not consider any individual who is acting under a direction by a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system that passengers and goods travel within cities and metropolitan areas and between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in a steelmill is not considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, even though it is physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing regulations for trains, such as those relating to safety and the movement of hazardous substances. The agency also manages rail financing including loans and grants for infrastructure and improvements to service. The agency works with other DOT agencies as well as industry to devise strategies to improve the rail system of the United States. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, responding to the demands for additional capacity and expanding the network strategically, as well as coordinating the national and regional system development and planning.

While most of the agency's activities are focused on freight transportation, it also handles the transportation of passengers. The agency aims to connect people with the places they'd like to visit and offer more choices for travel. The agency is focused on improving the experience for passengers and enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads are required to comply with a range of federal regulations, which include the ones pertaining to the size and composition of the train crews. In recent years, this issue has been a source of contention. Some states have passed legislation requiring two-person crews on trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum size of crew requirements, making sure that all railroads adhere to the same 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 enable FRA to compare the parameters of each operation with those of a two-person standard crew operation. Additionally, this rule changes the review standard for a special approval petition from determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether approving the operation is secure or as safe as a two-crewmember operation.

During the period of public comment on this rule, a number of people voted for a requirement of two persons on the crew. In a form letter, 29 people expressed their concern that a single member of the crew is not able to respond in a timely manner to incidents or train malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency response personnel on an elevated highway crossing. Commenters noted that human factors are the reason for a majority of railroad accidents. They believe that a larger team will ensure the safety of the train as well as its cargo.

Technology

Trains for passenger and freight use a variety of technologies to improve efficiency, enhance security, and increase safety. The language used in the rail industry includes many specific terms and acronyms, but some of the most 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 just about replacing certain jobs. It allows people to perform their jobs more effectively and more safely. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards to increase ridership and make the system more efficient. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to becoming reality.

As part of its ongoing effort to advance 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 dollars project that will see bridges and tunnels restored tracks, power systems and tracks upgraded, and stations reconstructed or upgraded. The FRA's rail improvements program will be substantially 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 National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it was successful in engaging, maintaining communications with inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. fela accident attorney must continue to consider how its research contributes to the department's primary objective of ensuring the safety of people and goods via rail.

One area where the agency might be able improve its effectiveness is in identifying and assisting the advancement of automated train technology and systems. The Association of American Railroads (AAR), the primary industry association for the freight rail industry, which focuses on research, policy and standard setting, established a Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping establish standards for the industry.

The FRA is interested in the development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently different levels of automation. This could apply to rail transit as well as on-road 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 reduce that risk.


Innovation

Railroads are embracing technology to improve worker safety and make business processes more efficient and help ensure that the cargo they move reaches its destination in good condition. Examples of such innovation include the use of cameras and sensors to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that help keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Some of these technologies allow railroads send emergency responders directly to the scene of an accident to reduce the danger and minimize the 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, and other accidents resulting from human error. This system is made up of three parts of onboard locomotive systems that track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive; and a massive server that collects and analyses data.

Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to bolster security and safety. Amtrak, for example, is experimenting with the use of drones in order to help security personnel on trains locate passengers and other items in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to utilize drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb.

Other technologies that can be used for railways for passengers include smart track technology that can detect the presence of people or objects on the tracks and send out a warning to drivers if it's unsafe to proceed. These technologies are especially effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other problems in the evenings when traffic is less and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.

Another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry is telematics which allows railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to monitor the status and condition of a traincar through real-time tracking. Railcar operators and crews can benefit from greater accountability and transparency which will allow them to increase efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help reduce delays when delivering freight.

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