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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail The Federal Railroad Administration also provides funding for rail and studies strategies for improving rail safety FRA inspectors on the ground employ discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the timeconsuming and precise civil penalty process This allows them to ensure that the violations most deserving of punishment are punished Members of SMARTTD and their allies made history in 2024 when they began pushing the FRA to allow two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains The fight is not over Safety The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to safeguard the health of employees as well as the public It formulates and enforces regulations for rail safety administers rail funding and studies strategies for improving rail infrastructure and technologies It also develops and implements a strategy to maintain current infrastructure services and capacity and strategically expands and enhances the national rail network The department demands that all rail companies adhere to strict rules that empower their employees and provide them with the tools to ensure their safety and success This includes participation in the confidential closecall reporting system establishing occupational health and safety committees that have full participation from unions and antiretaliation safeguards and providing employees with the necessary personal protection equipment FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of the rail safety regulations and laws They conduct routine inspections on equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints Those who violate the safety rules for rail can be penalized civilly Safety inspectors from the agency have a wide decisionmaking power to determine if violations fall within the definition provided by law of an offense that is punishable by civil penalties The Office of Chief Counsels safety division also reviews the reports that regional offices submit to ensure they are legal prior to imposing penalties The exercise of this discretion at the field and regional levels ensures that the exacting timeconsuming civil penalty process is utilized only in cases that are truly deserving of the effect of a civil penalty To be considered guilty of a civil infringement a rail employee must know 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 does not consider any individual who acts under a directive by a supervisor as having committed a willful violation The agency defines general railroad system as the entire network that carries goods and passengers within and between metropolitan areas and cities The trackage of a plant railroad in the steelmill isnt considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system despite the fact that its physically connected Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations ranging from those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials The agency oversees rail finance including grants and loan to improve service and infrastructure The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the nations rail system This includes maintaining existing rail infrastructure and services as well as in addition to addressing the need for additional capacity and strategically expanding the network and coordinating regional and national systems planning and development While most of the agencys work focuses on freight transportation it also oversees passenger transportation The agency is working to provide more options for passengers and connect passengers with the places they would like to travel to The agencys focus is on enhancing the experience for passengers as well as enhancing the safety of its existing fleet and ensuring that the rail network is operating efficiently Railroads must abide by a variety of federal regulations including those pertaining to the size of the crews on trains This issue has become an issue of contention in recent years with some states passing legislation to require twoperson crews on trains This final rule codifies federally the minimum size crew requirements making sure that all railroads follow the same safety standards This rule also requires that every railroad operating with a crew of one notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk This will enable FRA to compare the parameters of each operation to the standard twoperson crew operation This rule also changes the criteria for reviewing an approval request that is a special case from determining if an operation is consistent with railroad safety to determining if the operation is safer or more secure than a twoperson crew operation During the time of public comment on this rule a large number of people voiced their support for a requirement of two persons on the crew In a formal letter 29 people voiced their concern that a single crew member is not capable of responding with the speed required to respond to train malfunctions or incidents at grade crossings or assist emergency personnel on an elevated highway crossing railroad injury fela lawyer emphasized that human factors are responsible for more than half all railroad accidents and they think that a bigger crew would help ensure the safety of both the train and the cargo it transports Technology Freight and passenger railroads employ a wide array of technologies to increase efficiency increase security increase safety and more Rail industry jargon covers a variety of unique terms and acronyms Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems also called drones and railinspection systems that are instrumented driverless trains rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicles also known as drones Technology isnt just about replacing certain jobs It allows people to do their jobs better and safer Passenger railroads are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and make the system more efficient Other innovations like autonomous rail vehicles are moving closer to becoming a reality As part of its ongoing efforts to improve safe reliable and affordable transportation for the nation the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure This is a multibillion dollar initiative that will see tunnels and bridges rebuilt tracks power systems and tracks upgraded and stations reconstructed or replaced FRAs recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will significantly increase the agencys rail improvement programs The agencys Office of Research Development and Technology is a major component of this effort The National Academies recent review of the office revealed that it was successful in keeping in touch using inputs from a wide range of stakeholders However it needs to focus more on how its research contributes to the departments primary strategic goal of ensuring safe movement of people and goods by rail One area where the agency could be able to improve its effectiveness is by identifying and assisting the development of automated train systems and technologies The Association of American Railroads the primary freight rail industry organization that focuses on research policy and standardization the Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help in developing industry standards for the implementation of the technology FRA is interested in the groups creation of an automated rail taxonomy which is a standardization system that can clearly and consistently define different levels of automation that will be applicable to both onroad and rail transit vehicles The agency will also need to know the level of safety risk that the industry sees when implementing a fully automated system and whether the industry is contemplating additional security measures to reduce the risk Innovation Railroads are adopting technology to boost worker safety and make business processes more efficient and ensure that the cargo they move reaches its destination in good condition These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight to new railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transportation Some of these technologies even offer railroads the ability to send emergency response personnel to the scene of an accident so they can quickly mitigate the damage and reduce the risk to property and people Positive Train Control PTC is among the most significant developments in rail It is designed to prevent traintotrain accidents situations where trains are on track they shouldnt and other incidents caused by human errors The system is comprised of three components onboard locomotive systems which track the train wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a huge server that collects and analyses data Railroads that transport passengers are also embracing technology to bolster security and safety For instance Amtrak is experimenting with drones to assist passenger security personnel in locating passengers and other items aboard trains in the event in the event of an emergency The company is also examining ways to use drones They could be used to examine bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb Other technologies that can be used for passenger railroads include smart track technology which can detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and issue an alert to drivers when its unsafe for them to proceed These technologies are especially effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other issues during the evenings when traffic is less and there are fewer witnesses to an accident Another important technological advancement in the rail industry is telematics which allows railroads shippers and other stakeholders to monitor a traincars status and condition through realtime tracking These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews better control and visibility They can also assist them in improving efficiency prevent unnecessary maintenance and prevent delays in delivering freight to customers