The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

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

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

Members of SMART-TD and their allies made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to ensure that two people are in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to ensure the health of employees as well as the public. It formulates and enforces safety regulations for rail, administers rail funding and researches rail improvement strategies and new technologies. It also formulates, implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of current rail services and infrastructure. It also works to expand and improve the rail network across the nation. The department demands that all rail employers adhere to strict regulations, empower their employees and provide them with tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes taking part in the confidential close call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational health and safety committees that have full participation from unions and anti-retaliation safeguards, and providing employees with the necessary personal protection equipment.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections on equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Anyone who is in violation of the safety rules for rail can be subject to civil penalties. Safety inspectors at the agency have wide discretion to determine whether an liability act fela is within the legal definition of an act that is punishable by civil penalties. Additionally the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division examines all reports submitted by regional offices to determine legal sufficiency before assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied in cases that warrant their use.

A rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions and knowingly disregard those standards to commit a civil penalty-worthy offense. However the agency does not consider anyone who acts under a directive by a supervisor as having committed a willful violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire network over which goods and passengers travel within cities and metropolitan areas, or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad within the steel mill is not considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, despite the fact that it is physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations, such as those relating to safety and the transportation of hazardous substances. The agency oversees rail finance, which includes grants and loan for service and infrastructure improvement. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's rail infrastructure. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for additional capacity, expanding the network strategically, and coordinating the national and regional system planning and development.

The agency is mostly responsible for freight transportation, but also oversees passenger transport. The agency is working to offer more options for passenger travel and connect people to the places they would like to go. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience and increasing the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring the rail network continues to operate efficiently.

Railroads must comply with many federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of the crews on trains. This issue has become a controversial one in recent years, with some states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule establishes federally the minimum size of crew requirements, making sure that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.

This rule also requires that each railroad operating with a crew of one notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will enable FRA to compare the parameters of each operation to the standard two-person crew operation. Additionally this rule alters the criteria for reviewing an approval petition that is based on determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether approving the operation would be as safe or safer than a two-crewmember operation.

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

Technology

Freight and passenger rails use a variety of technologies to increase efficiency, improve safety, and boost security. The rail industry vernacular includes many unique terms and acronyms, however, 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 known as drones).

Technology doesn't just replace some jobs. It empowers people to do their jobs better and safer. Railroads that transport passengers use smartphones and contactless fare cards to increase passengership and boost the efficiency of their system. Other innovations such as autonomous rail cars are moving closer to becoming reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve safe, reliable, and affordable transportation in America, is focused on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollar effort that will see bridges and tunnels repaired tracks, power systems and tracks upgraded and stations rebuilt or replaced. The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically grow the agency's rail improvement programs.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a key piece 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 variety of stakeholders. But it still needs to focus more on how its research helps the department achieve its primary strategic goal of ensuring safe movement of goods and people by railway.

One area where the agency could be able to increase its effectiveness is by identifying and assisting 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 standardization the Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to assist in the development of industry standards to implement the technology.

The FRA is interested in the development of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles, a system that defines clearly and consistently different levels of automation. This would apply to rail transit as well as vehicles on the road. The agency will also want to understand the level of safety risk that the industry believes is associated with implementing fully automated operation and whether the industry is considering adding additional security measures to reduce the risk.

Innovation

Railroads are adopting technology to increase worker safety and make business processes more efficient and ensure that the freight it transports arrives at its destination intact. Examples of this innovations include the use of sensors and cameras to keep track of freight, and to new railcar designs that help keep hazardous cargo safe during transport. Some of these technologies allow railroads dispatch emergency personnel directly to accident sites to reduce the danger and minimize the damages to property and individuals.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most significant developments in rail. It can stop train-to-train accidents, instances where trains are on track they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human errors. It 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.

Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to bolster security and safety. Amtrak, for example, is experimenting with the use of drones in order to help train security staff find passengers and other items in an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to use drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lights on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is a different technology that can be used in passenger railroads. It can detect objects or people on tracks and alert motorists that it is not safe to continue. These types of technologies are particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized and other problems in the off-hours, when traffic levels are lower and fewer people are around to witness an accident.

Telematics is another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry. It lets railways, shippers, and other parties to follow a traincar's progress in real-time. Such capabilities give railcar operators and crews greater accountability and transparency and help them improve efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in the delivery of freight to customers.