The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

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

FRA inspectors on the ground make use of discretion to determine which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty process. This discretion helps ensure that the violations most deserving of punishment are punished.

Allies and members of SMART-TD made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to keep two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight continues.

Safety

The federal employers’ liability Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to protect the health of employees as well as the public. It is responsible for creating and enforcing rail safety regulations. It also oversees rail funding and studies rail improvement strategies and technologies. It also formulates and implements a plan to maintain current infrastructure, services, and capacity, and strategically expands and improves the nation's rail network. The department demands that all rail operators adhere to strict rules that empower their employees and provide them with tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes participating in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees that have full participation from unions and anti-retaliation clauses and giving employees the necessary personal protective equipment.

FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of railway safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations into complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties are handed out to those who violate rail safety laws. Safety inspectors from the agency have a wide decision-making power to determine if an act fela is within the definition provided by law of an offense that is punishable by civil penalties. Additionally, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety department examines all reports submitted by regional offices for legality before determining penalties. This discretion is exercised both at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used when they are necessary.

A rail worker must be aware of rules and regulations that govern his actions, and not knowingly violate those standards to commit a criminal offense that is punishable by a civil penalty. However the agency doesn't take any person who is acting under a direction from a supervisor to have committed an intentional violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system that passengers and goods travel within metropolitan and city areas, or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in a steel mill is not considered to be part of the general transportation system that trains even being physically connected to it.

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 oversees rail financing which includes loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to develop strategies for improving the nation's rail system. This includes maintaining current rail infrastructure and services and in addition to addressing the need for additional capacity and strategically expanding the network and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development.

While the majority of the agency's activities are focused on freight transportation, it also handles the transportation of passengers. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passengers and connect people to the places they'd like to travel to. The agency's focus is on improving the experience of passengers, enhancing safety of the current fleet, and making sure that the rail system continues to operate efficiently.

Railroads must comply with many federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of the crews on trains. In recent times, this issue has been a source of contention. Some states have passed legislation mandating two-person crews on trains. This final rule establishes federally the minimum crew size requirements, making sure that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.

This rule also requires each railroad operating a one-person train crew to inform FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will allow FRA to identify the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with those of a standard two-person crew operation. In addition this rule will change the review standard for an approval petition that is based on determining whether the operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether approving the operation is secure or as safe as an operation with two crew members.

During the time of public comments for this rule, a large number of people expressed their support 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 capable of responding as quickly to train malfunctions or incidents at grade crossings, or assist emergency response personnel on an elevated highway crossing. Commenters noted that human factors are the reason for more than half all railroad accidents. They believe that a larger team will ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.

Technology

Railroads for passenger and freight use various technologies to enhance efficiency, add safety, boost security and more. Rail industry jargon includes a variety of unique terms and acronyms. Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems (also called drones), instrumented rail-inspection systems driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as drones).

Technology isn't merely replacing jobs, it's also empowering individuals to perform their work more effectively and safely. Passenger railroads are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards in order to boost ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations like autonomous rail cars are moving closer to becoming reality.

The federal employers’ liability act Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure safe reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in America, is focused on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollars effort that will see tunnels and bridges rebuilt tracks, power systems and tracks upgraded, and stations reconstructed or upgraded. The FRA's rail improvements program will be significantly increased by the recently approved bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a crucial element in this effort. The National Academies' recent review of the office revealed that it excelled at engaging, maintaining communications with and using inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. But it still needs to be more focused on how its research helps the department achieve its primary objective of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people via railway.

The agency could enhance its effectiveness by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the main freight rail industry industry organization that focuses on policy, research and standard setting, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help develop industry standards for the implementation of the technology.

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 be applicable to both rail transit and on-road vehicles. The agency will also be looking to know the degree of risk to safety that the industry believes is associated with implementing fully automated operation and whether the industry is considering additional security measures to reduce the risk.

Innovation

Railroads are adopting technology to boost worker safety and improve business processes. efficient and help ensure that the freight it transports arrives at its destination safely. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight to innovative railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Some of these technologies allow railroads to send emergency responders directly to sites of accidents to reduce the risk and damage to people and property.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most significant developments in rail. It is designed to keep train-to-train accidents out of the way, as well as situations when trains are in a position they shouldn't, and other incidents caused by human error. This system is a three-part system consisting of onboard locomotive systems that track the train, wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive, and a massive backend server that collects and analyzes data.

Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to improve safety and security. Amtrak for instance, is experimenting with drones in order to help security personnel on trains locate passengers and other items in the event of an emergency. The company is also examining ways to use drones. They could be used to inspect bridges and other infrastructure, or to replace the lights on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb.

Other technologies that can be utilized for railways for passengers include smart track technology, which is able to detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and send out a warning to drivers if it's unsafe to proceed. These kinds of technology are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized as well as other issues that can arise in the off-hours, when traffic volumes are lowest and there are fewer people around to witness an accident.

Another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry is telematics which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to see the condition and status of a traincar through real-time tracking. These capabilities provide railcar operators and their crews more accountability and visibility and can assist them in improving efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in the delivery of freight to customers.