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 field inspectors make use of discretion to determine which cases merit the precise 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 ensure that two people are in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains. The fight isn't over.
Safety
The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to protect the health of its employees and public. fela claims railroad employees is responsible for establishing and enforcing safety regulations for rail. It also manages rail funding, and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technological developments. It also formulates, implements and maintains an action plan to maintain the current rail infrastructure and services. It also develops and improves the national rail network. The department requires that all rail operators adhere to strict rules that empower their employees and provide them with the tools to be secure and productive. This includes taking part in the confidential close call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational health and safety committees that have full union participation and anti-retaliation protections and providing employees with personal protective equipment.
FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of railway safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Anyone who violates rail safety laws may be subject to civil penalties. The agency's safety inspectors have broad discretion over whether an individual violation is in line with the statutory definition of a crime that is punishable by civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also reviews the reports that regional offices submit to determine if they are legal before assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised at the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied in situations that warrant them.
To be considered guilty of a civil violation, a rail employee 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 doesn't consider any individual who follows a directive from a supervisor to have committed a willful violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system that allows passengers and goods to 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, including those related to safety and movement of hazardous materials. The agency also manages financing for rail, including grants and loans for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies to improve the nation's railway system. This includes ensuring the current rail services and infrastructure, making sure that there is enough capacity and strategically expanding the network and coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.
While most of the agency's activities are focused on freight transportation, it also handles the transportation of passengers. The agency is working to connect people with the places they'd like to visit and offer more options for travel. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience as well as increasing the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring that the rail network continues to operate efficiently.
Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, including those related to the size of crews on trains. In recent years, this issue has been a source of contention. Certain states have passed legislation mandating two-person teams 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 allow FRA to better 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 a special approval petition from determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether the operation is safe or safer than an operation with two crew members.
During the public comment period for this rule, many people backed the requirement for a two-person crew. A letter from 29 individuals emphasized 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. The commenters emphasized that human factors account for more than half all railroad accidents and they believe that a larger crew would help ensure the safety of both the train and the cargo it transports.
Technology
Freight and passenger rails use different technologies to improve efficiency, improve safety, and boost security. The rail industry vernacular includes many specific 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 known as drones).
Technology isn't just replacing some jobs -- it's empowering individuals to perform their work more efficiently and with greater security. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphone apps and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and make the system more efficient. Other developments, like autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to becoming a reality.
The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote safe reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in the United States is focusing on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This multi-billion dollar project will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems, and tracks updated, and stations being rebuilt or replaced. The FRA's rail improvement program will be substantially increased by the recently approved bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a crucial component in this effort. The most recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging with, maintaining communication and utilizing inputs from a variety of stakeholders. But it still needs to concentrate on how its research helps the department achieve its primary strategic goal of ensuring safe movement of people and goods via rail.
One area where the agency may be able improve its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the advancement of automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail association that focuses on policy, research and standard setting, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help develop industry standards to implement the technology.
FRA is 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 would be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will also need to know the level of risk to safety that the industry believes is associated with the introduction of fully automated operation and whether the industry is considering adding additional protections to minimize the risk.
Innovation
Rail companies are adopting technology to improve worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes and ensure that the freight they transport arrives at its destination intact. Examples of this kind of innovations range from the use of sensors and cameras to track freight, to the latest railcar designs that help keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies allow railroads to dispatch emergency responders directly to accident sites to minimize the risk and damage to property and people.
Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most important innovations in rail. It is designed to prevent train-to-train accidents, situations where trains are on track they shouldn't, and other incidents caused by human errors. The system is comprised of three components of onboard locomotive systems that track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a massive server that gathers and analyzes data.
Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to bolster safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to aid security staff in locating passengers and items on board trains in the event in an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to utilize drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lighting on railway towers, which are dangerous for workers to climb.
Smart track technology is another technology that is used in railways for passengers. It is able to detect people or objects on tracks and warn drivers if it is unsafe to continue. These types of technologies can be particularly valuable for detecting unauthorized crossings and other issues during off-hours, when traffic is at its lowest and there are fewer people around to witness an accident.
Telematics is another important technological advance in the railway industry. It allows railways, shippers and other stakeholders to follow a traincar's progress in real-time. These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews greater control and visibility. They can also help them improve efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays in the delivery of freight to customers.