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The Federal Railroad Administration and TechnologyThe Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations It also provides rail funding and studies strategies for improving rail safety.FRA field inspectors employ discretion to decide on which cases merit the precise and lengthy civil penalty process. This discretion helps to ensure that the most serious violations are penalized.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 is not over.SafetyThe Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to safeguard the safety and health of its employees and the general public. It creates and enforces rail safety regulations, administers rail funding and researches strategies for improving rail and technologies. fela case settlements , implements and maintains a plan for maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services. It also develops and improves the rail network across the nation. The department expects all rail employers to adhere to strict rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with tools to succeed and stay safe. This includes participation in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational health and safety committees that have full union participation, as well as anti-retaliation safeguards, and providing employees with the necessary personal protective equipment.FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of the rail safety laws and regulations. They perform routine inspections on equipment and investigate complaints from hundreds of people. Civil penalties are handed out to those who violate railroad safety laws. The safety inspectors of the agency have a broad discretion on whether an individual violation is in line with the legal definition of a criminal penalty-worthy act. The Office of Chief Counsel’s safety division also examines the reports that regional offices submit to ensure they are legal before assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised at both the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied in situations that warrant them.To be guilty of a civil infringement, a rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions. They must also knowingly not adhere to these rules. However the agency doesn’t consider anyone who follows a directive by a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines the “general railroad system of transportation” as the whole network over which goods and passengers travel within metropolitan and city areas, or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad within the steel mill is not considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, even though it is physically connected.RegulationThe Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing regulations for trains, such as those relating to safety and the transportation of dangerous substances. The agency manages rail finance, which includes grants and loan to improve service and infrastructure. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies to improve the rail system of the United States. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, responding to the demands for additional capacity and expanding the network strategically, and coordinating regional and national system’s development and planning.The agency is responsible for freight transport, but also oversees passenger transport. The agency is working to offer more options for passengers and connect people with the places they’d like to travel to. The agency is focused primarily on enhancing the experience for passengers and enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and making sure that the rail network is operating efficiently.Railroads are required to abide with a range of federal regulations, which include those that deal with the size and composition of train crews. In recent times the issue has become a source of controversy. Certain states have passed legislation requiring two-person crews in trains. This final rule codifies the minimum size of crew requirements at the federal level, making sure that all railroads are held to the same safety standards.This also requires every railroad operating one-person train crews to inform FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will allow FRA to assess the requirements of each operation with the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. This rule also changes the standard for reviewing a special approval request to determine if an operation is “consistent” with railroad safety, to determining if the operation is safer or less risky than a two-person crew operations.During the public comment period for this rule, many people supported the requirement of a two-person crew. A letter written by 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member might not be as quick to respond to train malfunctions or grade crossing incidents or assist emergency response personnel 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 will ensure the safety of both the train and the cargo it transports.TechnologyTrains for passenger and freight use various technologies to increase efficiency, improve security, and increase safety. Rail industry jargon covers many distinct terms and acronyms. Some of the most notable include machine vision systems (also called drones) instruments for rail-inspection systems, driverless train rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicle (also called drones).Technology isn’t only able to replace certain jobs. It allows people to perform their jobs more effectively and with greater security. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards in order to boost ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations such as autonomous rail cars are getting closer to becoming reality.The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote safe affordable, reliable, and secure transportation in the United States, is focused on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This multi-billion dollar project will see tunnels, bridges tracks, power systems and tracks upgraded and stations being rebuilt or replaced. FRA’s recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically grow the agency’s rail improvement programs.The agency’s Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central element in this initiative. 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. However, it needs to focus more on how its research aids in the department’s main strategic goal of ensuring safe movement of goods and people by rail.The agency could improve its efficiency 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 that is focused on research policy, standard-setting and policy, established a Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to help create standards within the industry.FRA will be interested in the creation of an automated rail taxonomy, which is a system of standards to clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that would be applicable to both rail and on-road transit vehicles. The agency will also need to know the level of risk to safety that the industry sees with implementing fully automated operation and whether the industry is considering additional security measures to reduce the risk.InnovationRail companies are adopting new technologies to improve worker safety, boost efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the cargo they transport is delivered in good condition. Examples of this technological advancement range from the use of sensors and cameras to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that help keep hazardous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies enable railroads to dispatch emergency personnel directly to accident sites to minimize risk and damage to people and property.One of the most prominent innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC) which will prevent collisions between trains and train, situations where trains are on tracks that shouldn’t be, and other accidents that are caused by human error. This system is made up of three components: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive and a massive server that analyzes and collects data.Trains for passengers are also adopting technology to enhance security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to assist security staff in locating passengers and items on board trains in the event in the event of an emergency. The company is also looking into other ways to use drones, for instance, using drones to inspect bridges and other infrastructure, like replacing the lights on railway towers, which could be hazardous for workers to climb.Other technologies that can be utilized for railways for passengers include smart track technology that can detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and send a warning to drivers if it’s unsafe for them to proceed. These kinds of technologies can be particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized and other issues during off-hours, when traffic levels are lower and fewer people are around to witness an accident.Another important technological advancement in the railway industry is telematics which allows railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to see a traincar’s status and condition by real-time tracking. Traincar crews and operators can benefit from increased accountability and visibility which can help them improve efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help avoid delays when delivering freight.