5 Killer Quora Answers To Federal Railroad > 자유게시판

The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

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

FRA inspectors on the ground employ discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty procedure. This discretion helps ensure that the violations most deserving of punishment are penalized.

SMART-TD, along with its allies, made history in 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be allowed to sit in the cabs of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a range of safety measures in place to safeguard the health and welfare of employees as well as the general public. It is responsible for creating and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also oversees rail funding and studies rail improvement strategies and technologies. It also creates and implements a plan to ensure that current infrastructure, services, and capacity, and strategically expands and improves the nation's rail network. The department requires all rail employers to abide by strict rules and regulations, empower their employees and provide them with the tools needed to be successful and safe. This includes 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 gear.

Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail regulations and laws. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations into complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties are applied to those who break railroad safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have wide discretion to determine whether an act is within the statutory definition of an act punishable by civil penalties. Additionally the Office of Chief Counsel's safety department reviews all reports that are received from regional offices to determine their legality prior to assessing 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.

A rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions and be aware of the standards to commit a criminal offense that is punishable by a civil penalty. However, the agency does not take any person who is acting under a direction from a supervisor to have committed a willful violation. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire system that carries goods and passengers between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad in a steelmill is not considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, despite the fact that it's physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations including those related to safety and the transportation of dangerous substances. The agency also manages financing for rail including loans and grants for infrastructure and improvements to service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and with industry to devise strategies to improve the nation's railroad system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, responding to the demands for capacity expansion and expanding the network strategically, and coordinating the regional and national system planning and development.

The agency is primarily responsible for freight transport, but also oversees passenger transport. The agency is working to connect people with the places they want and provide more alternatives for travel. The agency's focus is on improving the experience of passengers and enhancing the safety of the existing fleet and ensuring the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads must adhere to a number of federal employers liability regulations, relating to the size of the crews on trains. In recent years the issue has become a source of controversy. Some states have passed legislation requiring 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 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 to the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the standard for reviewing 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 safer or more secure than a two-person crew operations.

During the public comment period on this rule, many people expressed support for the requirement of a two-person crew. A letter from 29 people outlined their concerns that a single crew member might not be as quick to respond to train-related malfunctions or crossing incidents, or assist emergency responders 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 would ensure the safety of the train and its cargo.

Technology

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

Technology isn't just about replacing certain jobs. It empowers people to do their jobs better and with greater security. Railroads that transport passengers use smartphones and contactless fare cards to boost passengership and boost the efficiency of their system. Other developments like autonomous rail cars are getting closer to reality.

As part of its ongoing efforts to advance safe, reliable and affordable transportation options for the country, the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar project will see bridges, tunnels, tracks and power systems upgraded and stations being rebuilt or replaced. FRA's recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure law will substantially grow the agency's rail improvement programs.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central element in this effort. The National Academies' recent review of the office found that it excelled at engaging, maintaining communication with inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. However, it needs to focus more on how its research helps the department achieve its primary strategic goal of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people by railway.

The agency could improve its effectiveness by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the main industry association for the freight rail industry, which is focused on research and policy, as well as standard setting, established a Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to help create standards within the industry.

FRA is likely to be interested in the creation of an automated rail taxonomy, a standard that will clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that could be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will also need to understand the level of risk to safety that the industry sees with the introduction of fully automated operation and whether or not the industry is considering additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are embracing technology to improve worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the freight they transport arrives at its destination intact. These innovations vary from cameras and sensors that monitor freight to new railcar designs that help keep dangerous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies enable railroads to dispatch emergency personnel directly to the scene of an accident to reduce the risk and damages to property and individuals.

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

Railroads that transport passengers are also embracing technology to improve security and safety. Amtrak for instance, is experimenting with the use of drones to assist security personnel on trains locate passengers and other items in an emergency. The company is also examining ways to utilize drones. They could be used to examine bridges and other infrastructure, or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb.

Other technologies that can be used for railways for passengers include smart track technology, which is able to detect the presence of people or objects on the tracks and send drivers with a warning if it's unsafe to travel. These technologies are particularly useful for detecting unauthorized crossings or other problems in the evenings when the traffic is lower and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.

Telematics is another important technological advance in the railway industry. It lets railways, shippers, and other stakeholders to follow a traincar's progress in real-time. Railcar operators and crews can benefit from greater accountability and transparency which can help them improve efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays when delivering freight.