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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

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

FRA field inspectors make use of discretion to decide which cases warrant the exact and time consuming civil penalty process. This helps ensure that the most serious violations are punished.

Allies and members of SMART-TD have 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 safeguard the health and welfare of its employees and the general public. It creates and enforces regulations for rail safety and oversees the funding for rail. It also researches rail improvement strategies and technology. It also formulates, implements and maintains a plan for maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services. It also works to expand and improve the national rail network. The department expects that all rail companies adhere to strict rules that empower their employees and provide them with the tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes participating in a confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees, with full union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective equipment.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail laws and regulations. They perform routine inspections on equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Civil penalties may be handed out to those who violate rail safety laws. The agency's safety inspectors have a broad discretion on whether an individual violation is in line with the statutory definition of a criminal penalty-worthy act. In addition the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division reviews all reports received from regional offices to determine their legality before determining penalties. This discretion is exercised at both the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used in situations that warrant them.

To be convicted of a civil infringement an employee of a railroad must know the rules and regulations governing their actions. They must also be aware of and not adhere to these rules. However the agency does not consider any individual who follows a directive from a supervisor as having committed a willful violation. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire system that carries goods and passengers within and between cities and metropolitan areas. A plant railroad's trackage in the steel mill isn't considered to be part of the general transportation system by rail, even though it is physically connected to it.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, including those related to safety and movement of hazardous materials. The agency is responsible for managing rail finance, which includes grants and loan for infrastructure and service improvement. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to develop strategies for improving the nation's rail infrastructure. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services as well as making sure that there is enough capacity strategically expanding the network, and coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.

Although the majority of the agency's work focuses on freight transportation, it also oversees passenger transportation. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passengers and connect passengers with the places they would like to travel to. The agency's focus is on improving the passenger's experience, enhancing safety of the current fleet, and making sure that the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of the crews on trains. In recent years this issue has become controversial. Certain states have passed legislation that requires two-person teams on trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum size crew requirements, ensuring that all railroads follow the same safety standards.

This also requires every railroad that has a one-person train crew to inform FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will allow FRA to identify the specifics of each operation and compare them to those of a standard two-person crew operation. Additionally, this rule changes the standard of review for the special approval petition from determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining if approving the operation would be as safe or safer than a two-crewmember operation.

During the public comment period on this rule, a lot of people expressed support for a two-person crew requirement. In a form letter 29 people voiced their concerns that a single member of the crew is not able to respond with the speed required to respond to incidents or train malfunctions at grade crossings, or assist emergency response personnel on the highway-rail level crossing. The commenters pointed out that human factors account for more than half all railroad accidents and believe that a larger team will ensure the safety of both the train and the cargo it transports.

Technology

Freight and passenger rails use different technologies to improve efficiency, improve security, and improve safety. The language used in the rail industry contains a myriad of distinct terms and acronyms however, some of the most notable developments include machine vision systems, instrumentsed rail inspection systems, driverless trains rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly called drones).

Technology isn't merely replacing jobs, it's also empowering individuals to perform their work better and safer. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards in order to boost ridership and make the system more efficient. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to reality.

As part of its ongoing effort to improve safe, reliable, and affordable transportation options for the country, the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollar initiative that will see bridges and tunnels rebuilt tracks, power systems and tracks upgraded and stations rebuilt or replaced. FRA's recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will substantially expand the agency's rail improvements programs.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a major element in this initiative. Recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging, maintaining communication and using inputs of a wide range of stakeholders. It is still required to be aware of how its research contributes towards the department's main goal of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods by railways.

The agency could increase 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, which focuses on research policy, standard-setting and policy and has established an Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations in order to help establish standards for the industry.

FRA will be interested in the group's creation of an automated rail taxonomy, which is a standardization system that can clearly and consistently define different levels of automation that will be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency would like to know the level of risk that the industry is assessing with fully automated operation, and if the industry is considering any additional safeguards to minimize the risk.

Innovation

Railroads are using technology to boost worker safety and make business processes more efficient and help ensure that the cargo it transports arrives at its destination intact. Examples of this innovation range from the use of sensors and cameras to keep track of freight, and to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo secure during transit. Certain of these technologies provide a way for railroads to send emergency responders to areas of accidents so that they can quickly mitigate the risks to property and lives.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most important innovations in rail. It will prevent train-to-train accidents, situations where trains are on track they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human errors. The system is a three-part system comprised of onboard locomotive systems that track the train and wayside networks that connect with the locomotive, and an enormous backend server that analyzes and collects data.

Railroads that transport passengers also use technology to enhance security and safety. For Federal Employers’ Liability instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist security personnel in locating passengers and other items onboard trains in the event in the event of an emergency. The company is also exploring ways to make use of drones. They could be used to inspect bridges and other infrastructure, or to replace the lights on railway towers, which are dangerous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is another technology that is used in railways for passengers. It can detect objects or people on tracks and notify motorists that it is not safe to continue. These technologies are particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized or other issues during the evenings, when traffic is low and there are less witnesses to an accident.

Telematics is another important technological advancement in the rail industry. It allows railways, shippers and other stakeholders, to track a traincar in real-time. These capabilities give railcar owners and their crews more accountability and visibility and can help them improve efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in delivering freight to customers.