ARK
MUSIC

The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations, provides rail funding and studies strategies for improving rail safety.

FRA field inspectors employ discretion to decide which cases merit the precise and lengthy civil penalty process. This helps ensure that the most serious violations are punished.

Members of SMART-TD and their allies made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to allow two people in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains. The fight continues.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration implements a variety of safety measures to safeguard the health of employees as well as the public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing rail safety regulations. It also oversees rail funding and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technologies. It also creates and implements a plan to ensure that current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically develops and enhances the national rail network. The department requires all railroad employers to adhere to strict rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with tools to be successful and secure. This includes taking part in the confidential close-call reporting system, creating labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective equipment.

FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude 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 wide discretion to determine whether a violation falls under the definition provided by law of an offense that is punishable with civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also examines the reports that regional offices submit to determine if they are legal before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the field and regional levels ensures that the lengthy, time-consuming civil penalty process is applied only in situations that truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty.

To be considered guilty of a civil infringement, a rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions. They must also be aware of and not adhere to these rules. However the agency does not take any person who follows a directive from a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the whole network that carries goods and passengers between cities and metropolitan areas. A plant railroad's trackage in the steel mill isn't considered to be part of the overall transportation system that trains, even although it is physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, ranging from those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency also manages financing for rail, including grants and loans for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies to improve the nation's railway system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for additional capacity and expanding the network strategically, and coordinating the regional and national system planning and development.

While the majority of the agency's activities are focused on freight transportation, it also manages the transportation of passengers. The agency is working to connect people with the places they'd like to visit and offer more choices for travel. The agency is focused primarily on improving the experience of passengers, enhancing safety of the existing fleet and ensuring the rail system continues to operate efficiently.

Railroads must abide by a variety of federal regulations, relating to the size of crews on trains. This issue has become a controversial one in recent years, with several states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies the minimum crew size requirements at an international level, and ensures that all railroads are subject to the same safety standards.

This rule also requires each railroad that operates a one-person train crew to inform FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will enable FRA to evaluate the characteristics of each operation with the standard two-person crew operation. Additionally this rule alters the criteria for reviewing the special approval petition from to determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining if approving the operation is safer or more secure than a two-crewmember operation.

During the time of public comment for this rule, a number of people expressed their support for a requirement for two persons on the crew. In a formal letter 29 people voiced their concern that a single crewmember will not be able to respond in a timely manner to incidents or train malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency response personnel at a highway-rail level crossing. Commenters noted that human factor are responsible for a majority of railroad accidents. They believe that a larger crew could ensure the security of the train as well as its cargo.

Technology

Freight and passenger rails employ various technologies to improve efficiency, increase safety, and boost security. The language used in the rail industry includes many unique terms and acronyms, but some of the most notable innovations include machine vision systems, instrumentsed rail inspection systems, driverless trains, rolling data centers and drones that are not piloted (commonly called drones).

Technology isn't just replacing some jobs -- it's empowering people to perform their jobs more efficiently and with greater security. Railroads for passengers use apps on smartphones and contactless fare cards to boost passengership and boost the efficiency of their system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to becoming a reality.

As part of its ongoing effort to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable transportation options for the country, the federal employers’ Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar project will see tunnels, bridges tracks, power systems, and tracks updated and stations being rebuilt or replaced. The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically grow the agency's rail improvement programs.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key part of this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office revealed that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communications with inputs from a broad range of stakeholders. It is still required to focus on how its research contributes towards the department's main goal of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods via rail.

One area in which the agency might be able to improve its effectiveness is by identifying and assisting the advancement of automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the principal industry association for the freight rail industry, which focuses on research policy, standard-setting and policy, 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 for automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This could be applicable to both rail transit and on-road vehicles. The agency will also want to know the level of risk to safety that the industry believes is associated when implementing a fully automated system and whether the industry is contemplating additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are adopting technology to enhance worker safety, improve 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 keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies allow railroads to dispatch emergency personnel to areas of accidents so that they can swiftly mitigate risks to property and people.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most important innovations in rail. It is designed to keep train-to-train accidents out of the way, as well as situations where trains are on track they shouldn't, and other incidents caused by human error. This system is made up of three parts consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive; and a massive server that gathers and analyzes data.

Passenger railroads also embrace technology to improve security and safety. Amtrak for instance, is experimenting with the use of drones to assist train security staff find passengers and other items in the event of an emergency. The company is also exploring other ways to use drones, for instance, using drones to conduct inspections of bridges and other infrastructure like replacing the lighting on railway towers, which could be 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 out an alert to drivers when it's unsafe to proceed. These technologies are especially useful for detecting unauthorized crossings or other issues in the evenings, when traffic is low and there are less witnesses to an accident.

Telematics is yet another significant technological advancement in the rail industry. It allows railways, shippers and other stakeholders to monitor a traincar in real-time. Traincar crews and operators can benefit from greater accountability and visibility which will allow them improve efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help reduce delays when delivering freight.