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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for rail safety regulations and enforcement, as well as funding for rail, and research on rail improvement strategies. FRA inspectors on the ground make use of discretion to decide which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that the most serious violations are penalized. SMART-TD members and allies made history in 2024 when they began pushing the FRA to allow two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight isn't over. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to ensure the health of its employees and public. It develops and enforces safety regulations for rail, administers rail funding and researches rail improvement strategies and new technologies. It also develops plans, implements and maintains a plan for maintaining the current infrastructure and services for rail. It also expands and improves strategically the national rail network. The department demands that all rail operators adhere to strict guidelines, empower their employees and provide them with the tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes taking part in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees that have full participation from unions and anti-retaliation clauses and giving employees the necessary personal protective equipment. Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Those who violate rail safety laws may be penalized civilly. Safety inspectors from the agency are able to decide on the extent to which an incident falls within the statutory description of a crime that is punishable by civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also examines the reports submitted by regional offices to determine if they are legal before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the regional and field levels ensures that the exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is applied only in situations that are truly deserving of the impact of a civil penalty. To be 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 knowingly not adhere to these rules. The agency does not believe an individual who acted in response to a supervisor's direction has committed a willful offense. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the entire network that carries goods and passengers between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad at the steel mill isn't considered to be part of the overall rail system of transportation, even although it is physically connected to it. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations that pertain to safety and the movement of hazardous substances. The agency also manages rail financing, including grants and loans for infrastructure and improvements to service. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies to improve the rail system of the United States. This includes maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services, responding to the demands for capacity expansion and expanding the network strategically, as well as coordinating the regional and national system's planning and development. fela settlements is responsible for freight transportation, but also manages passenger transportation. The agency aims to connect people to places they want and provide more alternatives for travel. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience as well as enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring that the rail network is operating efficiently. Railroads must comply with a variety of federal regulations, including those relating to the size and composition of train crews. This is controversial in recent years, with a few states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies federally the minimum size of crew requirements, making sure that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards. This also requires every railroad operating one-person train crews to notify FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will enable FRA to assess the requirements of each operation to the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the review standard of 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 safer than two-person crew operation. During the public comment period for this rule, many people supported the requirement for a two-person crew. In a form letter 29 people voiced their concern that a single crewmember is not able to respond as quickly to train accidents or malfunctions at grade crossings, or assist emergency response personnel at the highway-rail level crossing. The commenters noted that human factors are responsible for more than half railroad accidents, and they believe that a larger team will ensure the safety of the train and the cargo it transports. Technology Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ various technologies to increase efficiency, add safety, boost security and much more. Rail industry jargon includes many distinct terms and acronyms. Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems (also known as drones) and rail-inspection systems that are instrumented, driverless train rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicle (also called drones). Technology isn't just replacing some jobs — it's empowering people to do their job better and safer. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards in order to boost ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other developments like autonomous rail cars are moving closer to becoming reality. The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve secure, reliable, and affordable transportation in America is focusing on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar effort will see tunnels, bridges, tracks and power systems updated and stations rebuilt or replace. The FRA's rail improvements program will be greatly increased by the recently approved bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central component of this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it excelled in keeping in touch with inputs from a variety of stakeholders. But it still needs to focus more on how its research contributes to the department's primary objective of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people by railway. The agency could improve its efficiency by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail industry organization that focuses on research, policy and standard-setting, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help in developing industry standards for the implementation of the technology. FRA is likely to be interested in the creation of an automated rail taxonomy, which is a system of standards to clearly and consistently define different levels of automation that will be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will need to know the degree of risk that the industry perceives with fully automated operation, and if the industry is considering any additional safeguards to minimize the risk. Innovation Railroads are adopting technology to increase worker safety and make business processes more efficient and ensure that the freight they move reaches its destination in good condition. Examples of such innovation include the use of sensors and cameras to track freight, to the latest railcar designs that keep dangerous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies allow railroads dispatch emergency personnel directly to sites of accidents to reduce the risk and minimize damages to property and individuals. Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most important innovations in rail. It can prevent train-to-train accidents, situations when trains are in a position they shouldn't be, and other accidents caused by human errors. The system is a three-part process consisting of onboard locomotive systems that track the train and wayside networks that connect with the locomotive and an enormous backend server that analyzes and collects data. Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to bolster safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to assist passenger security staff in locating passengers and items on board trains in case of an emergency. The company is also exploring other possibilities to utilize drones, including deploying them to perform inspections of bridges as well as other infrastructure, for example, replacing the lighting on railway towers, which can be hazardous for workers to climb. Other technologies that can be used for railways for passengers include smart track technology that can detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and issue drivers with a warning if it's unsafe to proceed. These technologies are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized or other issues during the evenings, when traffic is low and there are less witnesses to an accident. Telematics is another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry. It allows railways, shippers and other parties to monitor a traincar in real-time. These capabilities provide railcar operators and their crews more accountability and transparency and aid in improving efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays in delivering freight to customers.