The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail, provides rail funding and conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure.

FRA inspectors on the ground make use of discretion to decide which cases merit the time-consuming and precise civil penalty procedure. This ensures that the most serious violations of punishment are penalized.

Members of SMART-TD and their allies made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to keep 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 ensure the health and welfare of employees and the public. It formulates and enforces rail safety regulations, administers rail funding and studies strategies for improving rail infrastructure and new technologies. It also formulates, implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of the current infrastructure and services for rail. It also works to expand and improve the rail network across the nation. The department requires all rail companies to abide by strict rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with the tools to succeed and stay secure. This includes participating in an anonymous close-call reporting system, creating labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full union participation and antiretaliation provisions and giving employees the necessary personal protective gear.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections on equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Those who violate rail safety laws may be subject to civil penalties. The safety inspectors of the agency have a broad discretion on whether an incident falls within the statutory definition of a crime that is punishable by civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel’s safety division also reviews all reports submitted by regional offices to determine if they are legal prior to imposing penalties. This discretion is exercised both at the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used in cases that warrant their use.

To be convicted of a civil offense an employee of a railroad must know the rules and regulations that govern their actions. They also must be aware that they ignore these rules. However the agency does not consider anyone who follows a directive from a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the whole network that transports passengers and goods within and between metropolitan areas and cities. A plant railroad's trackage in the steel mill isn't considered to be part of the general transportation system by rail even although it is physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing regulations for trains, such as those relating to safety and the transportation of dangerous substances. The agency also manages financing for rail including loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to devise strategies for improving the nation's rail infrastructure. This includes ensuring the existing rail infrastructure and services, in addition to addressing the need for additional capacity, strategically expanding the network and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development.

The agency is mostly responsible for freight transportation, but also oversees passenger transport. The agency aims to connect people with the destinations they desire and offer more options for travel. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience, improving the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring the rail network continues to operate efficiently.

Railroads must adhere to a number of federal employers’ regulations, including those pertaining to the size of the crews on trains. In recent times the issue has become a source of controversy. Some states have passed legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. The final rule codifies the minimum size of crew requirements at the federal level, making sure that all railroads are held to the same safety standards.

This also requires every railroad that has a single-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 to the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. In addition this rule will change the standard of review for the special approval petition from determining whether the operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether approving the operation would be as safer or more secure than an operation with two crew members.

During the public comment period for this rule, many people supported the requirement for a two-person crew. A form letter sent by 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member would not be as quick to respond to train-related malfunctions or crossing incidents, or assist emergency response personnel at a highway-rail grade crossing. Commenters emphasized that human factors are the reason for a majority of railroad accidents. They believe that a larger team could ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.

Technology

Freight and passenger rails use different technologies to increase efficiency, improve security, and increase safety. Rail industry jargon comprises a variety of specific terms and acronyms. Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems (also known as drones), instrumented rail-inspection systems driverless trains rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicles (also called drones).

Technology isn't merely replacing jobs -- it's empowering people to perform their jobs more efficiently and with greater security. Passenger railroads are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations such as autonomous rail cars are coming closer to becoming reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve safe affordable, reliable, and secure transportation in the United States, is focused on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar project will see bridges, tunnels, tracks and power systems updated, and stations being rebuilt or replaced. The FRA's rail improvement program will be significantly expanded by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central element in this initiative. The most recent National Academies review of the office found that it excelled in engaging with, maintaining communication and utilizing inputs from a range of stakeholders. But it still needs to concentrate on how its research aids in the department's main strategic goal of ensuring safe movement of goods and people by rail.

One area where the agency may be able improve its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the advancement of automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the main freight rail industry business organization that is focused on policy, research and standard-setting the Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to assist in the development of industry standards for implementing the technology.

FRA is likely to be interested in the creation of an automated rail taxonomy. It is a standardization system that can clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that could be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency would like to know the degree of risk that the industry is assessing with fully automated operation, and if the industry is considering additional safeguards to reduce the risk.

Innovation

Railroads are adopting technology to boost worker safety and improve business processes. efficient and ensure that the cargo that they transport arrives at its destination safely. Examples of this technological advancement range from the use of cameras and sensors to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that help keep hazardous cargo secure during transit. Some of these technologies even provide a way for railroads to send emergency responders to the scene of an accident so they can swiftly reduce damage and reduce the risk to property and lives.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most significant innovations in rail. It is designed to prevent train-to-train accidents, situations where trains are on track they shouldn't be, and other accidents caused by human error. This system is made up of three components: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive; and a massive server that gathers and analyzes data.

Passenger railroads also embrace technology to increase safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist passenger security personnel in finding passengers and other items onboard trains in the event in an emergency. Amtrak is also investigating different ways to use drones, for instance, using them to perform inspections of bridges as well as other infrastructure, like replacing the lighting on railway towers that could be dangerous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is another technology that can be utilized in railways that transport passengers. It is able to detect objects or people on tracks and warn drivers if it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are especially effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other issues in the evenings, when traffic is low and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.

Another significant technological advance in the rail industry is telematics, which enables railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to see a traincar's status and condition through real-time tracking. Such capabilities give railcar operators and their crews more accountability and visibility and Fela Claims Railroad Employees can help them improve efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays in the delivery of freight to customers.