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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology


The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for the safety of rail, regulations and enforcement, as well as funding for rail, 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 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 isn't over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to safeguard the safety and health of its employees and the general public. It formulates and enforces rail safety regulations as well as manages funding for rail and researches rail improvement strategies and new technologies. It also develops plans, implements and maintains an action plan to maintain the current rail infrastructure and services. It also works to expand and improve the national rail network. The department expects that all rail operators adhere to strict rules, empower their employees and provide them with the tools to be safe and successful. This includes participation in the secure close call reporting system, setting up occupational health and safety committees with full union participation, as well as anti-retaliation protections and providing employees with the necessary personal protection equipment.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the leading edge of enforcing rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct hundreds of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Anyone who is in violation of the rail safety laws could be punished with civil penalties. Safety inspectors from the agency have broad discretion over whether an individual violation is in line with the legal definition of a crime that is punishable by civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also scrutinizes all reports that regional offices submit to ensure they are legal prior to imposing penalties. This discretion is exercised both at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used in situations that warrant them.

To be guilty of a civil violation an employee of a railroad must be aware of the rules and regulations governing the conduct of his or her employees. They must also be aware of and not adhere to these rules. However the agency does not consider anyone who follows a directive from a supervisor as having committed a willful violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the whole network over which goods and passengers travel within metropolitan and city areas or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in the steel mill is not considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, even though it's physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, ranging from those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency also oversees rail financing including loans and grants for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency works with other DOT agencies and the industry to develop strategies for improving the nation's railroad system. This includes maintaining current rail infrastructure and services, in addition to addressing the need for additional capacity and strategically expanding the network and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development.

Although the majority of the agency's activities are focused on freight transportation, it also oversees the transportation of passengers. The agency is working to connect people to places they want and provide more alternatives for travel. The agency is focused on enhancing the passenger experience and increasing the safety of the existing fleet, and making sure that the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads must abide by a variety of federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of crews on trains. This is a controversial one in recent years, with some states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies federally the minimum crew size requirements, making sure that all railroads follow the same safety standards.

This also requires every railroad operating a one-person train crew to notify FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will allow FRA to identify the specifics of each operation and compare them to those of a typical two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the review standard of an approval request that is a special case to determine if an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is as safe or more secure than a two-person crew operations.

During the time of public comment for this rule, a number of people voted for a requirement of two people on the crew. In a formal letter, 29 people expressed their concerns that a single member of the crew will not be in a position to respond with the speed required to respond to train accidents or malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency personnel on the highway-rail level crossing. The commenters emphasized that human factors are responsible for more than half railroad accidents and they think that a bigger crew will ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.

Technology

Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ various technologies to enhance efficiency, improve security, improve safety and more. Rail industry jargon comprises various specific terms and acronyms. Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems (also called drones) and rail-inspection systems that are instrumented driverless trains rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicles (also called drones).

Technology isn't just replacing certain jobs, it's also empowering people to do their job more efficiently and with greater security. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other developments, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to becoming reality.

As part of its ongoing effort to ensure secure, reliable and affordable transportation for the entire nation In 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 is a multi-billion dollar effort that will see bridges and tunnels rebuilt, tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations rebuilt or replaced. FRA's recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will substantially expand the agency's rail improvements programs.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is an essential part of this effort. Recent National Academies review of the office found that it excelled in engaging in a continuous dialogue and utilizing the inputs of a wide range of stakeholders. It must continue to consider how its research contributes to the department's primary goal of ensuring safe movement of goods and people by railways.

The agency could improve its efficiency by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the principal industry association for the freight rail industry that focuses on research, policy and standard setting, established the Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations in order to help establish standards for the industry.

The FRA is interested in the group’s development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles, a system that defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This could apply to rail transit as well as vehicles on the road. The agency will want to know the level of risk that the industry perceives with fully automated operation, and whether the industry is considering any additional measures to mitigate the risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are adopting new technologies to increase worker safety, boost efficiency in business processes and ensure that the freight they transport arrives at its destination in good condition. fela settlements include cameras and sensors that monitor freight, to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transportation. Some of these technologies even allow railroads to send emergency responders to locations of accidents so they can swiftly mitigate risks to property and lives.

One of the most well-known innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC), which will inhibit collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks they shouldn't be, and other accidents that are caused by human errors. The system is comprised of three parts of onboard locomotive systems that track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive; and a massive server that analyzes and collects data.

Railroads that transport passengers also use technology to enhance safety and security. Amtrak, for example, is testing the use of drones to assist train security personnel find passengers and other items in an emergency. The company is also examining ways to utilize drones. They could be used to inspect bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb.

Other technologies that can be used for railways for passengers include smart track technology, which can detect the presence of people or objects on the tracks and send out an alert to drivers when it's unsafe to proceed. These kinds of technology are especially beneficial in detecting unsafe crossings and other issues during times when traffic levels are lower and there are fewer people to witness an accident.

Telematics is a significant technological breakthrough in the railway industry. It lets railways, shippers, and other stakeholders, to track 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 prevent delays in delivering freight to customers.