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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail The Federal Railroad Administration also provides funding for rail and studies strategies for improving rail safety. FRA inspectors on the ground make use of discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty procedure. This allows them to ensure that the most serious violations are punished. Allies and members of SMART-TD made history in 2024 by 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 variety of safety measures in place to protect the health and welfare of employees as well as the general public. It develops and enforces safety regulations for rail and oversees the funding for rail. It also researches rail improvement strategies and technologies. It also formulates and implements a plan to ensure that current infrastructure, rail services and capacity, and strategically develops and improves the nation's rail network. The department expects all railroad employers to adhere to strict rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with the tools needed to be successful and secure. This includes the confidential close-call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective gear. Inspectors of the FRA are at the leading edge of enforcing rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations of complaints of non-compliance. fela lawyer are handed out to those who violate rail safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have a broad decision-making power to determine if an act is within the legal definition of an offense that is punishable by civil penalties. Additionally, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division examines all reports submitted by regional offices for legality before determining 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 those situations which truly warrant the deterrent impact of a civil penalty. To be guilty of a civil offense, a rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern the conduct of his or her employees. They must also knowingly not adhere to these rules. The agency does not consider that an individual who acts in response to a supervisor's direction has committed a willful offence. The agency defines the “general railroad system of transportation” as the entire network that passengers and goods travel within metropolitan areas and between them. A plant railroad's trackage in a steel mill is not considered to be part of the overall rail system of transportation even though it is physically connected to it. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible to establish regulations for train operations, such as those relating to safety and the movement of hazardous substances. The agency manages railway finance, including loans and grants to improve service and infrastructure. The agency works with other DOT agencies as well as industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's rail infrastructure. This includes maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for new capacity, expanding the network strategically, and coordinating the regional and national system development and planning. The agency is mostly responsible for freight transportation, but also supervises passenger transportation. The agency is working to provide more options for passengers and connect people with the places they'd like to travel to. The agency is focused on improving the experience for passengers, enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and making sure that the railway system continues to function efficiently. Railroads are required to comply with a variety of federal regulations, including those relating to the size and composition of train crews. In recent years, this issue has become controversial. Some states have passed legislation mandating two-person crews on trains. The final rule codifies the minimum crew size requirements at an international level, and ensures that all railroads are held to the same safety standards. This also requires every railroad operating a one-person train crew to inform FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will allow FRA to compare the parameters of each operation with those of a two-person standard crew operation. Additionally this rule will change the criteria for reviewing a special approval petition from determining whether an operation is “consistent with railroad safety” to determining whether the operation would be as safer or more secure than an operation with two crew members. During the time of public comment on this rule, a number of people voted for a requirement for two people on the crew. In a formal letter 29 people expressed their concerns that a single crew member will not be capable of responding as quickly to train malfunctions or incidents at grade crossings, or assist emergency response personnel at a highway-rail level crossing. The commenters emphasized that human factors are responsible for more than half of all railroad accidents, and they believe that a larger team would help ensure the safety of the train and the cargo it transports. Technology Freight and passenger rails employ various technologies to increase efficiency, improve security, and improve safety. The rail industry lingo includes a variety of specific terms and acronyms, but some of the more notable innovations include machines-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 better and with greater security. Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards to boost ridership and improve the efficiency of their system. Other developments, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to 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 focused on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion-dollar project that will see bridges and tunnels rebuilt, tracks and power systems upgraded and stations rebuilt or upgraded. The FRA's rail improvements program will be substantially expanded by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key component in this effort. The National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it excelled at keeping in touch using inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. It is still required to focus on how its research contributes to the department's primary objective of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods by rail. The agency could improve its efficiency by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads, the main freight rail industry association that focuses on policy, research and standardization, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help develop industry standards for implementing the technology. The FRA is interested in the group’s development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles, a system that defines clearly and consistently different levels of automation. This could be applicable to both rail transit and vehicles on the road. The agency will want to know the level of risk that the industry perceives with fully automated operation, as well as whether the industry is contemplating any additional safeguards to reduce that risk. Innovation Rail companies are embracing technology to improve worker safety, boost efficiency in business processes and ensure that the cargo they transport is delivered in good condition. These innovations vary from cameras and sensors that monitor freight, to new railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies enable railroads to dispatch emergency responders directly to sites of accidents to reduce the risk and minimize damages to property and individuals. 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 error. This system is a three-part system comprised of locomotives onboard that track the train and wayside networks that connect with the locomotive, and an enormous backend server that analyzes and collects data. Trains for passengers also adopt technology to increase security and safety. Amtrak is one example. It is testing the use of drones to assist train security personnel locate passengers and items in an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to use drones. They could be used to examine bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb. Other technologies that could be utilized for passenger railroads include smart track technology, which is able to detect the presence of people or objects on the tracks and send drivers with a warning if it's unsafe to proceed. These types of technologies are particularly beneficial in detecting unsafe crossings as well as other issues that can arise in the off-hours, when traffic is at its lowest and fewer people are around to witness an accident. Another significant technological advance in the rail industry is telematics which allows railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to monitor a traincar's status and condition via real-time tracking. These capabilities give railcar owners and crews greater accountability and visibility and can help them improve efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in the delivery of freight to customers.