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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 inspectors on the ground make use of discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty process. This helps ensure that the most serious violations are punished. Members of SMART-TD and their allies made history in 2024 when they began pushing the FRA to ensure that two people are 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 ensure the safety and health of employees and the public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing safety regulations for rail. It also manages rail funding and studies rail improvement strategies and technologies. It also creates, implements and maintains an action plan to maintain the current rail infrastructure and services. It also expands and improves strategically the national rail network. The department expects all rail companies to adhere to 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 equipment. Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct hundreds of investigations into complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties can be imposed on those who violate rail safety laws. Safety inspectors from the agency have a broad discretion to determine if violations fall within the legal definition of an act that is punishable with civil penalties. Additionally, the Office of Chief Counsel's security division reviews all reports that are received by regional offices for legality prior to assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised at both the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used in cases that warrant their use. To be convicted of a civil infringement, a rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions. They must also be aware of and disregard these standards. The agency doesn't consider that an individual who acts upon a directive from a supervisor has committed a willful offense. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the whole network that transports passengers and goods within and between cities and metropolitan areas. The trackage of a plant railroad at the steel mill isn't considered to be part of the overall transportation system by rail even being physically connected to it. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations including those related to safety and the transportation of hazardous substances. The agency also oversees rail financing including loans and grants for infrastructure and improvements to service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and with industry to develop strategies for improving the nation's railway system. This includes ensuring the existing rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for capacity expansion and expanding the network strategically and coordinating the national and regional system planning and development. The agency is responsible for freight transport, but also supervises passenger transportation. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passenger travel and connect passengers with the places they would like to travel to. The agency is focused primarily on enhancing the experience for passengers, enhancing safety of the current fleet, and making sure that the rail system continues to operate efficiently. Railroads must comply with many federal regulations, including those related to the size of crews on trains. This is controversial in recent years, with a few states passing 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 each railroad operating a single-person train crew to notify FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will enable FRA to compare the parameters of each operation to the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. Additionally this rule alters the review standard for an approval petition that is based on determining whether the operation is “consistent with railroad safety” to determining if approving the operation would be as secure or as safe as an operation with two crew members. During the period of public comment for this rule, a number of people voiced their support for a requirement of a two person crew. A letter from 29 people outlined their concerns that a lone crewmember could not be as quick to respond to train-related malfunctions or crossing incidents or assist emergency response personnel at a highway rail grade crossing. The commenters noted that human factors are responsible for more than half railroad accidents, and they believe that a larger team could help ensure the safety of both the train and its cargo. Technology Trains for passenger and freight use various technologies to increase efficiency, increase security, and increase safety. Rail industry jargon includes many distinct terms and acronyms. Some of the most well-known include machine vision systems (also known as drones), instrumented rail-inspection systems, driverless train rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicle (also known as drones). Technology doesn't just replace some jobs. It allows people to perform their jobs better and safer. Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards to boost passengership and boost the efficiency of their system. Other developments like autonomous rail cars are moving closer to reality. The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure safe reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in the United States is focusing on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion-dollar effort that will see tunnels and bridges repaired tracks, power systems and tracks upgraded, and stations rebuilt or upgraded. The FRA's rail improvements program will be substantially expanded by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a major piece in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office found that it was successful in engaging, maintaining communications with and using inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. However, it needs to focus more on how its research contributes to the department's primary objective of ensuring the safe transportation of goods and people via railway. One area where the agency could be able to increase its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the development of automated train technology and systems. fela lawsuits of American Railroads, the primary freight rail business organization that is focused on research, policy, 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 group's development of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This could apply to rail transit as well as on-road vehicles. The agency will also want to understand the level of safety risk that the industry perceives associated with the introduction of fully automated operation and whether or not the industry is considering adding additional safeguards to mitigate that risk. Innovation Railroads are adopting technology to boost worker safety and make business processes more efficient and ensure that the freight it transports arrives at its destination safely. Examples of this innovations vary from the use sensors and cameras to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that keep dangerous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies allow railroads to send emergency responders directly to sites of accidents to minimize risk and damage to people and property. One of the most prominent innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC) that will stop collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks that shouldn't be, as well as other accidents resulting from human errors. This system consists of three parts of onboard locomotive systems that track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive; and a huge server that gathers and analyzes data. Trains for passengers also adopt technology to enhance safety and security. Amtrak for instance, is experimenting with the use of drones in order to help train security staff locate passengers and items in an emergency. The company is also exploring ways to utilize drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructure, or to replace the lights on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb. Smart track technology is a different technology that is used in passenger railroads. It is able to detect people or objects on tracks and notify drivers if it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are especially 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 a significant technological breakthrough in the railway industry. It allows railways, shippers and other parties to monitor a traincar in real-time. Railcar operators and crews will benefit from increased accountability and visibility which can help them to improve efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays when delivering freight.