9 Signs You're The Federal Railroad Expert
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 studies strategies for improving rail safety.
FRA field inspectors use discretion to decide on which cases merit the precise and lengthy civil penalty process. This ensures that those violations most deserving of punishment are punished.
SMART-TD members and allies made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to allow two people in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains. The fight is not over.
Safety
The Federal Railroad Administration has a range of safety measures in place to protect the safety and health of employees and the public. It formulates and enforces rail safety regulations, administers rail funding and researches strategies for improving rail and new technologies. It also creates plans, implements and maintains a plan for maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services. It also expands and improves strategically the rail network across the nation. The department demands that all rail companies adhere to strict guidelines that empower their employees and provide them with the tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes participating in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up occupational health and safety committees, with full union participation and protection against retaliation and providing employees with needed personal protection equipment.
FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of the rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct hundreds of investigations into complaints of noncompliance. Anyone who violates rail safety laws may be subject to civil penalties. The safety inspectors of the agency have broad discretion over whether a particular violation meets the legal definition of a civil penalty-worthy act. The Office of Chief Counsel’s safety division also reviews all reports that regional offices submit to determine if they are legal before assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised both at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used in cases that warrant their use.
To be guilty of a civil offense an employee of a railroad must be aware of the rules and regulations governing their actions. They also must be aware that they disregard these standards. However the agency doesn't consider any individual who follows a directive by a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire network that passengers and goods travel within metropolitan areas or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad within the steelmill isn't considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, even though it's physically connected.
Regulation
The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing regulations for trains, such as those relating to safety and the transportation of dangerous substances. The agency also oversees rail financing including loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's railroad system. This includes ensuring the current rail services and infrastructure as well as making sure that there is enough capacity and strategically expanding the network, and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development.
While the majority of the agency's work is focused on freight transportation, it also oversees the transportation of passengers. The agency aims to connect people with the destinations they desire and offer more options for travel. The agency is focused primarily 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 a variety of federal regulations, including the ones pertaining to the size and composition of train crews. In recent years, this issue has become a source of controversy. Certain states have passed legislation mandating two-person crews on trains. This final rule establishes federally the minimum size crew requirements, making sure that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.
This rule also requires each railroad operating one-person train crews to inform FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will enable FRA to assess the requirements of each operation with the standard two-person crew operation. In addition this rule alters the criteria for reviewing a special approval petition from to determining whether an operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining whether the operation is safer or more secure than an operation with two crew members.
During the public comment period on this rule, a lot of people backed a two-person crew requirement. A form letter sent by 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member would 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 noted that human factors account for more than half all railroad accidents, and they think that a bigger crew would help ensure the safety of the train and the cargo it transports.
Technology
Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ numerous technologies to enhance efficiency, add security, improve safety and much more. The language used in the rail industry contains a myriad of specific terms and acronyms, but some of the more 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 also empowering people to do their job more effectively and safely. Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of their system. Other developments like autonomous rail cars are moving closer to reality.
As fela settlements of its ongoing efforts to ensure 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 tunnels, bridges, tracks and power systems updated and stations being rebuilt or replaced. FRA's recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically increase the agency's rail improvement programs.
The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is an essential part of this effort. The most recent National Academies review of the office found it excelled at engaging, maintaining communication and using inputs of a wide range of stakeholders. It is still required to focus on how its research contributes to the department's main goal of ensuring safe movement of people and goods via railways.
The agency could increase its effectiveness by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail business organization that is focused on research, policy, 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 standard that will clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that will be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will need to know the level of risk that the industry is assessing with fully automated operation, as well as whether the industry is contemplating any additional safeguards to reduce the risk.
Innovation
Rail companies are adopting technology to increase worker safety, boost efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the cargo they transport reaches its destination intact. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight to innovative railcar designs that help keep dangerous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies allow railroads dispatch emergency personnel directly to accident sites to minimize risk and minimize damage to people and property.
Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most important innovations in rail. It will stop train-to-train accidents, instances when trains are in a position they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human error. This system is a three-part process consisting of onboard locomotive systems that track the train, wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a massive backend server that gathers and analyzes data.
Railroads that transport passengers also use technology to improve security and safety. Amtrak, for example, is experimenting with the use of drones to assist train security staff find passengers and other items in the event of an emergency. The company is also examining ways to make use of drones. They could be used to inspect bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lighting on railway towers, which are dangerous for workers to climb.
Other technologies that can be utilized for railways for passengers include smart track technology, which can detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and send out drivers with a warning if it's unsafe to proceed. These types of technologies can be particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized as well as other issues that can arise in the off-hours, when traffic levels are lower and there are fewer people around to witness an accident.
Another significant technological advance in the rail industry is telematics which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to monitor the status and condition of a traincar through real-time tracking. Traincar crews and operators can benefit from increased accountability and transparency, which will help them to increase efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays when delivering freight.