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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for the safety of rail regulations and enforcement rail funding and research on improving rail strategies FRA field inspectors employ discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the precise and lengthy civil penalty process This ensures that the most serious violations of punishment are punished SMARTTD and its allies created history in 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be allowed to sit in the cabs of freight locomotives trains The fight continues Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to ensure the safety and health of employees and the public It develops and enforces safety regulations for rail administers rail funding and researches rail improvement strategies and new technologies It also creates plans implements and maintains a plan for maintaining the current infrastructure and services for rail It also works to expand and improve the rail network across the nation The department expects all rail companies to adhere to strict rules and regulations and empower their employees and provide them with the tools needed to be successful and safe This includes participating in an anonymous 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 Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing rail safety regulations and laws They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct investigations into hundreds of complaints Anyone who violates the rail safety laws could be punished with civil penalties Safety inspectors at the agency have a wide decisionmaking power to determine if violations fall within the legal definition of an act punishable with civil penalties The Office of Chief Counsels safety division also reviews all reports submitted by regional offices to ensure they are legal before assessing penalties The exercise of this discretion at the field and regional levels helps ensure that the lengthy timeconsuming civil penalty process is applied only in cases that truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil fine To be convicted of a civil infringement an employee of a railroad must be aware of the rules and regulations governing his or her actions They must also be aware of and disregard these standards However the agency doesnt consider any individual who follows a directive from a supervisor to have committed a willful violation The agency defines general railroad system as the whole network that carries goods and passengers between metropolitan areas and cities A plant railroads trackage in a steel mill is not considered to be part of the general transportation system that trains even though it is physically connected to it Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing regulations for trains that pertain to safety and the movement of hazardous substances The agency manages rail finance including loans and grants to improve service and infrastructure The agency works with other DOT agencies as well as industry to devise strategies for improving the rail system of the United States This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services as well as addressing the need for new capacity strategically expanding the network and coordinating regional and national systems planning and development Although the majority of the agencys work focuses on freight transportation it also handles the transportation of passengers The agency is working to offer more options for passenger travel and connect people to the places they want to go The agencys primary focus is on improving the experience of passengers enhancing safety of the existing fleet and ensuring the rail network continues operating efficiently Railroads must comply with many federal regulations relating to the size of the crews on trains This issue has become controversial in recent years with some states passing legislation that requires twoperson crews on trains This final rule codifies federally the minimum crew size requirements making sure that all railroads follow the same safety standards This rule also requires that every railroad operating a oneperson crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk This will allow FRA to better identify the specifics of each operation and compare them to the parameters of a standard twoperson crew operation Additionally this rule changes the standard of review for the special approval petition from determining whether the operation is consistent with railroad safety to determining whether the operation is safer or more secure than an operation with two crew members During the public comment period for this rule many people expressed support for the requirement of a twoperson crew In a formal letter 29 people voiced their concerns that a single member of the crew is not able to respond as quickly to incidents or train malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency response personnel at a highwayrail level crossing Commenters noted that human factors are the reason for more than half all railroad accidents They believe that a larger crew will ensure the safety of the train and its cargo Technology Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ various technologies to increase efficiency improve security improve safety and much more Rail industry jargon covers many unique terms and acronyms Some of the most notable include machine vision systems also known as drones instruments for railinspection systems driverless train rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicles also known as drones Technology isnt only able to replace certain jobs It allows people to perform their jobs better and with greater security Passenger railroads are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and make the system more efficient Other developments like autonomous rail vehicles are inching closer to becoming reality As part of its ongoing effort to advance secure reliable and affordable transportation for the nation The Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure fela claims railroad employees billion dollar project will see tunnels bridges tracks and power systems updated and stations renovated or replaced FRAs recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will substantially increase the agencys rail improvement programs The agencys Office of Research Development and Technology is a key piece in this initiative The National Academies recent review of the office found that it was successful in engaging maintaining communication with inputs from a variety of stakeholders It still needs to be aware of how its research contributes to the departments primary goal of ensuring safe movement of goods and people by rail The agency could improve its effectiveness by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technologies The Association of American Railroads the primary freight rail association that focuses on research policy and standardization the Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to assist in the development of industry standards for the implementation of the technology The FRA is interested in the development of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation This could apply to rail transit as well as onroad vehicles The agency will need to know the level of risk that the industry is assessing with fully automated operation and whether the industry is contemplating any additional measures to mitigate that risk Innovation Rail companies are adopting new technologies to enhance worker safety improve efficiency in business processes and ensure that the freight they transport is delivered in good condition These innovations vary from cameras and sensors that monitor freight to new railcar designs that help keep dangerous cargo safe during transportation Some of these technologies even allow railroads to dispatch emergency personnel to areas of accidents so that they can quickly mitigate the damage and minimize risk to property and lives Positive Train Control PTC is one of the most significant innovations in rail It is designed to keep traintotrain accidents out of the way as well as situations when trains are in a position they shouldnt and other incidents caused by human errors This system consists of three parts consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive and a massive server that analyzes and collects data Railroads that transport passengers also use technology to improve security and safety Amtrak is one example It is experimenting with drones to help train security personnel locate passengers and items in an emergency Amtrak is also looking into ways to make use of drones They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lights on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb Smart track technology is another technology that can be used in passenger railroads It can detect people or objects on tracks and alert motorists that it is not safe to continue These types of technologies can be particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized and other issues in the offhours when traffic is at its lowest and there are fewer people to witness an accident Another important technological advancement in the railway industry is telematics which enables railroads shippers and other stakeholders to monitor the status and condition of a traincar through realtime tracking These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews greater accountability and visibility and can aid in improving efficiency prevent unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays in delivering freight to customers