guidehemp23
User Name: You need to be a registered (and logged in) user to view username.
Total Articles : 0
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 conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure FRA inspectors on the ground make use of discretion to decide which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty process This helps ensure that the most serious violations are punished SMARTTD and its allies created history by 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be allowed to sit in the locomotive cabs of freight trains The fight continues Safety The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to protect the health of employees as well as the public It creates and enforces regulations for rail safety as well as manages funding for rail and researches rail improvement strategies and technologies It also creates and implements a strategy to ensure the current infrastructure services and capacity and strategically develops and improves the national rail network The department expects all railroad employers to adhere to strict rules and regulations and empower their employees and provide them with tools to succeed and stay safe fela attorneys includes a confidential closecall reporting system setting up labormanagement occupational safety and health committees with full union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective gear FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of railway safety laws and regulations They perform routine inspections on equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints Anyone who is in violation of the rail safety laws could be penalized civilly The safety inspectors of the agency are able to decide on the extent to which an individual violation is in line with the legal definition of a civil penaltyworthy act In addition the Office of Chief Counsels security division examines all reports submitted from regional offices to determine their legal sufficiency before assessing penalties The exercise of this discretion at both the regional and field levels helps ensure that the lengthy timeconsuming civil penalty process is used only in those situations which truly warrant the deterrent impact of a civil penalty To be convicted of a civil offense the employee of a rail company must know the rules and regulations that govern their actions They must also knowingly disregard these standards However the agency doesnt take any person who acts under a directive by a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation The agency defines general railroad system as the entire network that transports passengers and goods within and between metropolitan areas and cities The trackage of a plant railroad within the steel mill is not considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system even though it is physically connected Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations such as those relating to safety and the movement 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 as well as industry to develop strategies for improving the nations rail system This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services addressing the needs for capacity expansion expanding the network strategically as well as coordinating the regional and national system development and planning The agency is mostly responsible for freight transportation but also supervises passenger transportation The agency is aiming to provide more options for passenger travel and connect passengers with the places they want to go The agencys focus is on improving the experience of passengers enhancing safety of the existing fleet and ensuring the rail network is operating efficiently Railroads are required to comply with a number of federal regulations including the ones pertaining to the size and composition of the train crews This issue has become controversial in recent years with some states passing legislation that requires twoperson crews on trains This final rule establishes federally the minimum size of crew requirements making sure that all railroads follow the same safety standards This also requires every railroad that has a oneperson train crew to notify FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment This will allow FRA to compare the parameters of each operation with the parameters of a standard twoperson crew operation This rule also changes the standard for reviewing a special approval request from determining whether an operation is consistent with railroad safety to determining if the operation is as safe or less risky than a twoperson crew operation During the public comment period on this rule a large number of people backed a twoperson crew requirement A form letter sent by 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member might not be as quick to respond to trainrelated malfunctions or crossing incidents or assist emergency responders at a highwayrail grade crossing The commenters emphasized that human factors account for more than half of all railroad accidents and they believe that a larger team could help ensure the safety of the train and the cargo it transports Technology Freight and passenger rails use various technologies to increase efficiency increase safety and boost security Rail industry jargon covers many unique terms and acronyms Some of the most notable include machine vision systems also called drones instrumented railinspection systems driverless train rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicle also called drones Technology isnt merely replacing jobs its also empowering people to perform their jobs more efficiently and with greater security Passenger railroads are using smartphone apps and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and make the system more efficient Other innovations like autonomous rail cars are moving closer to reality As part of its ongoing effort to improve safe reliable and affordable transportation for the nation the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure This multibilliondollar project will see tunnels bridges tracks power systems and tracks updated and stations rebuilt or replace The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically expand the agencys rail improvements programs The agencys Office of Research Development and Technology is a key piece in this effort The National Academies recent review of the office revealed that it excelled at keeping in touch with inputs from a wide range of stakeholders It still needs to focus on how its research contributes towards the departments primary objective of ensuring the safety of people and goods by railways The agency could increase its effectiveness by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technologies The Association of American Railroads the freight rail industrys primary association that focuses on research policy and standard setting and has created a 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 development of an automated rail taxonomy a standard that will clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that will be applicable to both onroad and rail transit vehicles The agency would like to know the degree of risk the industry sees in fully automated operation and whether the industry is considering any additional safeguards to minimize the risk Innovation Railroads are adopting technology to improve worker safety and improve business processes efficient and ensure that the cargo they move reaches its destination safely Examples of this innovation range from the use of sensors and cameras to track freight to the latest railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo secure during transit Some of these technologies allow railroads to dispatch emergency personnel directly to accident sites to minimize danger and minimize the damages to property and individuals Positive Train Control PTC is one of the most significant innovations in rail It can prevent traintotrain accidents situations where trains are on track they shouldnt be and other accidents caused by human error It is a threepart 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 Passenger railroads also embrace technology to improve security and safety Amtrak is one example It 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 looking into different ways to use drones including deploying drones to conduct inspections of bridges as well as other infrastructure such as replacing the lighting on railway towers that could be dangerous for workers to climb Smart track technology is a different technology that can be utilized in passenger railroads It can detect objects or people on tracks and warn drivers if it is unsafe to continue These kinds of technologies are particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized as well as other issues that can arise during offhours when traffic levels are lower and there are fewer people around to witness an accident Telematics is another important technological advance in the rail industry It allows railways shippers and other stakeholders to follow a traincars progress in realtime Such capabilities give railcar operators and crews better accountability and visibility and can help them improve efficiency avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays in the delivery of freight to customers