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fela railroad settlements is one of the DOT’s 10 departments concerned with intermodal transportation. Its purpose is to ensure the safe and secure transportation of goods and people.FRA field inspectors routinely inspect railroad track, signal and train control systems as well as operating procedures. They also investigate complaints.DefinitionFederal railroads are rail carriers in the United States controlled by the federal government. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) establishes and enforces safety regulations, administers railroad funding, and researches ways to improve the efficiency of rail transportation systems. The FRA is one of the 10 agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation which is responsible for intermodal transportation. Its chief executive officers are the Administrator and Deputy Administrator.The agency is responsible for all passenger and freight transport that is made possible by the rail network of the United States. The agency also coordinates government funding for rail transportation and assists in the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor passenger service. The agency also regulates ownership and operation of intermodal facilities, like tracks, rights of way equipment, real estate, and rolling stock. It also oversees federal rail transportation programs.FRA’s duties also include establishing through regulation and following an opportunity for comments, a procedure by which anyone can inform the Secretary of Homeland Security any railroad security problems or issues. Additionally, the FRA establishes policies and conducts inspections in order to evaluate the compliance with its rail safety laws in six technical disciplines tracks signal and train control, motive power and equipment, operating practices, hazmat, and highway-rail grade crossings.The agency is tasked with the responsibility of making sure the rail transportation system is safe, efficient and environmentally sustainable. The agency also requires that railroads to maintain a safe workplace and provide adequate training to their employees. In addition, the agency sets and enforces railroad rates to ensure that the public receives an equitable price for their transportation services.The Federal Railroad Administration also enacts and enforces rules to prevent discrimination towards railroad employees. They also shield whistleblowers from retaliation by railroad carriers. The agency also establishes a complaint procedure for railroad employees to file complaints about the conduct of the company.The main goal of the FRA is to ensure safe, reliable and efficient movement of goods and people for a strong America now and in future. The FRA accomplishes this by regulating railroad safety, managing programs for assistance to railroads, conducting research to support the improvement of safety for railroads and national rail transportation policies, coordinating and supporting the development of a rail network, and helping the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads dominated the market, with very little competition. The railroad industry was able to abuse its dominant position in the market as a result. Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission, as along with other regulatory agencies, to curb the monopolies’ exploitation of railroads.PurposeFederal railroads are government institutions that make regulations, manage rail funds and conduct research to improve the rail system in the United States. It manages the rail infrastructure of the United States and oversees passenger and freight railroads. It is one of ten agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding the existing rail infrastructure.The government’s primary responsibility in the railway industry is safety. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is in charge of this, and has several divisions that manage the country’s freight and passenger rail operations. The Office of Railroad Safety is the largest with a staff of around 350. It is responsible for conducting safety inspections across six technical disciplines, including track signal, and train control as well as motive and equipment operating procedures, hazmat and highway-rail grade crosses.FRA has additional departments that include the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This department is responsible for programs aimed at improving freight and passenger rail transport, such as the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for the grants given to railways, and collaborates with other agencies in order to plan the nation’s rail requirements.Another important function of the FRA is the enforcement of federal laws that pertain to railroads and their employees. This includes stopping railroads from discriminating against employees, and making sure that injured railway workers are provided with transportation to the nearest hospital for first aid treatment. Additionally, railroads are prohibited from denying or delaying medical treatment for injured railway employees.The FRA is the main regulator of the rail passenger and freight industry, but other organizations oversee the economic aspects of rail transportation. The Surface Transportation Board, for instance is responsible for setting rates and governing the economics of the industry. It also has the authority to regulate mergers in the railroad industry lines sales construction and abandonment. Other responsibilities include the establishment of rules after opportunity for public input that allows anyone to complain about alleged safety violations to the agency.FunctionsRailroads carry people and goods between cities in developed nations as well as remote villages in less-developed countries. They transport raw materials to manufacturing and processing factories, and the finished products from those factories to warehouses and stores. Railroads are a critical form of transportation for many vital commodities, such as coal, oil, and grains. In 2020, freight railroads moved more than a quarter of the freight volumes in the United States [PDF].A federal railroad operates as a business just like other businesses, with departments for marketing and operations, sales, and an executive department. The department of marketing and sales collaborates with potential and current customers to determine the kind of rail services they require and how much they will cost. The operations department then produces the rail services that meet those requirements at the cheapest cost in order to earn money for the railroad. The executive department supervises the entire operation, ensuring that each department is functioning efficiently.The government helps the railways with a variety ways, including grants and subsidized rates on government traffic. Congress also provides funds to support and build new stations and tracks. These subsidies are usually in addition to the revenue the railroads receive from tickets and freight contracts.In the United States, the government owns the railway for passengers, Amtrak. It is a quasi-public for profit corporation with a significant shareholder that is the United States government.The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) main task is to formulate and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical properties of trains, as well as the health and safety of railroad employees. FRA also collects data on rail security to identify patterns and areas that require improvement or attention from the regulatory side and to determine trends.FRA also participates in other projects that improve the safety and economy of railroad transportation in the United States. For instance, the agency seeks to eliminate obstacles that could hinder railroads’ implementation of positive train control systems (PTC). PTC is an emergency safety system that utilizes sensors and on-board computers to stop the train automatically when it is too close to another vehicle or object.HistoryThe first railroads in the United States were constructed in the 1820s and 1830s, largely in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. Railroads significantly accelerated industrialization in those areas and also brought more food items to the market. This made the country more independent and less dependent on imports.In the latter half of the nineteenth century the railroad industry was experiencing a “Golden Age,” during which many new railway lines that were more efficient were constructed and passenger travel via train became more popular. This was in large part due to the government’s efforts to expand the railroad system. For instance, the government, gave homesteaders land grants in order to encourage them to settle in the West. Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads also worked together to construct the first transcontinental railroad, which allowed passengers to travel from New York City to San Francisco in just six days.However, in the first half of the 20th century, the demand for passenger railroad services declined and other transportation options like cars and airplanes gained popularity, while the stifling of regulations hindered railroads’ ability to compete economically. A series of bankruptcies, delays in maintenance and service cuts was the next step. In addition, misguided federal railway regulations caused the demise of the industry.Around the year 1970, the federal government began to ease the regulatory burdens on railroads. The Surface Transportation Board was established to oversee economic aspects of the industry, such as mergers and rates for railroads. The Federal Railroad Administration was also created, which sets rules for safety in rail and is one of 10 agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation that oversees freight and passenger transportation.Since then, the railroad infrastructure of the United America has seen a great deal of investment. The Northeast Corridor, for example was rebuilt to accommodate faster, more modern high-speed ground transportation (HSGT) trains. There have also been efforts to create more efficient systems for freight rail. In the future, FRA hopes to continue its relationship with all transportation agencies in order to ensure reliable and safe railroads. The role of FRA is to ensure that the nation’s transportation system is running as efficiently as possible.