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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 researches rail improvement strategies FRA inspectors on the ground use discretion to decide 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 Allies and members of SMARTTD made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to allow two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains The fight is not over Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to protect the health and safety of its employees and the general public It is responsible for establishing and enforcing rail safety regulations It also manages the funding for rail and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technologies It also develops implements and maintains an action plan to maintain the current infrastructure and services for rail It also expands and improves strategically the rail network across the nation The department requires all rail companies to abide by strict rules and regulations empower their employees and provide them with tools needed to be successful and safe This includes participation in the confidential close call reporting system establishing labormanagement occupational health and safety committees that have full union participation as well as antiretaliation safeguards and providing employees with the necessary personal protective equipment FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of railway safety regulations and laws They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations into complaints of noncompliance fela claims railroad employees who is in violation of rail safety laws may be penalized civilly Safety inspectors at the agency have a wide discretion to determine if violations fall within the definition provided by law of an offense that is punishable with civil penalties The Office of Chief Counsels safety division also scrutinizes all reports submitted by regional offices to determine if they are legal prior to imposing penalties This discretion is exercised at the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied when they are necessary To be guilty of a civil infringement an employee of a railroad must be aware of the rules and regulations governing their actions They also must be aware that they not adhere to these rules The agency does not believe that an individual who acts in response to a supervisors direction has committed a willful offence The agency defines general railroad system as the entire network that carries goods and passengers within and between cities and metropolitan areas The trackage of a plant railroad at the steel mill isnt considered to be part of the general transportation system that trains even being physically connected to it Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing regulations for trains that pertain to safety and the movement of dangerous substances The agency manages rail finance which includes loans and grants for service and infrastructure improvement The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies for improving the nations rail infrastructure This includes ensuring the existing rail infrastructure and services addressing the need for additional capacity and expanding the network strategically as well as coordinating the national and regional system development and planning The agency is primarily 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 want to travel to The agency is focused on enhancing the passenger experience and increasing the safety of the existing fleet and ensuring that the rail network continues to operate efficiently Railroads must comply with many federal regulations including those pertaining to the size of the crews on trains In recent times this issue has become a source of controversy Certain states have passed legislation that requires twoperson crews on trains This final rule outlines the minimum size of crew requirements at a federal level ensuring that all railroads are held to the same safety standards This law also requires that each railroad operating with a crew of one notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk This will allow FRA to assess the requirements of each operation to the standard twoperson crew operation Additionally this rule alters the criteria for reviewing a special approval petition from to determining whether an operation is consistent with railroad safety to determining if approving the operation is secure or as safe as an operation with two crew members During the public comment period on this rule a lot of people expressed support for a twoperson crew requirement A letter from 29 individuals emphasized their concerns that a single crew member might not be as quick to respond to issues with trains or grade crossing incidents or assist emergency responders at a highwayrail grade crossing Commenters pointed out that human factors are the reason for more than half all railroad accidents They believe that a larger team will ensure the security of the train and its cargo Technology Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ numerous technologies to increase efficiency improve security improve safety and much more Rail industry jargon covers many distinct terms and acronyms Some of the most notable include machine vision systems also called drones and railinspection systems that are instrumented driverless train rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicle also known as drones Technology isnt only able to replace certain jobs It empowers people to perform their jobs better and with greater security Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards in order to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of their system Other innovations such as autonomous rail cars are getting closer to becoming reality As part of its ongoing effort to ensure safe reliable and affordable transportation for the entire nation The Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure This is a multibilliondollar initiative that will see bridges and tunnels rebuilt tracks power systems and tracks upgraded and stations reconstructed or replaced The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically grow the agencys rail improvement programs The agencys Office of Research Development and Technology is a central piece in this effort The National Academies recent review of the office revealed that it excelled at engaging maintaining communications with and using inputs from a variety of stakeholders It must continue to consider how its research contributes to the departments primary objective of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods via railways The agency could improve its efficiency by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technologies The Association of American Railroads AAR is the main industry association for the freight rail industry which focuses on research and policy as well as standard setting established the Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping establish standards for the industry FRA will be interested in the groups creation of an automated rail taxonomy a standard that will clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that would be applicable to both rail and onroad transit vehicles The agency will want to know the amount of risk that the industry is assessing with fully automated operation as well as whether the industry is considering additional safeguards to reduce the risk Innovation Railroads are embracing technology to increase worker safety and make business processes more efficient and ensure that the cargo it transports arrives at its destination intact These innovations vary from cameras and sensors that monitor freight to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transportation Some of these technologies allow railroads to dispatch emergency personnel directly to accident sites to minimize the danger and minimize the damage to people and property One of the most wellknown innovations in rail is Positive Train Control PTC which will inhibit traintotrain collisions situations where trains are on tracks where they shouldnt be and other accidents resulting from human errors This system is a threepart process consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train and wayside networks that connect with the locomotive and a massive backend server that collects and analyzes data Railroads that transport passengers are also embracing technology to enhance safety and security Amtrak for instance is testing the use of drones to help security personnel on trains locate passengers and items in the event of an emergency The company is also looking into different ways to use drones for instance using drones to inspect bridges as well as other infrastructure like replacing the lighting on railway towers which can be hazardous for workers to climb Smart track technology is another technology that can be utilized in passenger railroads It is able to detect people or objects on tracks and warn motorists that it is not safe to continue These technologies are particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized or other problems in the evenings when the traffic is lower and there are less witnesses to an accident Telematics is a significant technological breakthrough in the railway industry It allows railways shippers and other parties to follow a traincars progress in realtime These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews greater accountability and visibility and can assist them in improving efficiency prevent unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays in delivering freight to customers