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The Federal Railroad Administration and TechnologyThe Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations It also provides rail funding and conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure.FRA inspectors on the ground use discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the lengthy and precise civil penalty process. This helps ensure that the most serious violations are penalized.SMART-TD, along with its allies, made history by 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two people should be allowed to sit in the locomotive cabs of freight trains. The fight continues.SafetyThe Federal Railroad Administration has a range of safety measures in place to protect the health and welfare of employees as well as the general public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing safety regulations for rail. It also manages rail funding, and conducts research on improvements to rail strategies and technology. It also develops plans, implements and maintains an action plan to maintain the current infrastructure and services for rail. It also expands and improves strategically the national rail network. The department expects all rail companies to abide by strict rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with the tools to be successful and secure. This includes participation in the secure close call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational health and safety committees with full participation from unions and protection against retaliation and providing employees with the necessary personal safety equipment.Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations of complaints of non-compliance. Those who violate the safety rules for rail can be subject to civil penalties. Safety inspectors from the agency have a broad discretion to determine whether violations fall within the statutory definition of an act that is punishable by civil penalties. Additionally the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division reviews all reports received by regional offices to determine legality prior to assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised at both the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied in cases that warrant their use.To be considered guilty of a civil violation an employee of a railroad must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions. They also must be aware that they not adhere to these rules. The agency does not believe that a person who acts upon a directive from a supervisor is guilty of committing a willful crime. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system that allows passengers and goods to travel within cities and metropolitan areas and between them. The trackage of a plant railroad at the steel mill isn't considered part of the general transportation system that trains, even being physically connected to it.RegulationThe Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, ranging from those related to safety and movement of hazardous materials. The agency is responsible for managing rail finance, which includes grants and loan to improve service and infrastructure. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to develop strategies for improving the rail system of the United States. This includes ensuring the existing rail infrastructure and services, responding to the demands for capacity expansion and expanding the network strategically and coordinating regional and national system's planning and development.The agency is primarily responsible for freight transportation but also oversees passenger transport. The agency is working to offer more options for passengers and connect people to the places they'd like to travel to. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience and improving the safety of the existing fleet, and making sure that the rail network is operating efficiently.Railroads are required to comply with a range of federal regulations, including those that deal with the size and composition of crews on trains. This is an issue of contention in recent years, with some states passing legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies federally the minimum size of crew requirements, ensuring that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.This rule also requires that every railroad that has a one-person crew notify FRA and submit a risk analysis. This will allow FRA to assess the requirements of each operation to those of a two-person standard crew operation. This rule also alters the criteria for reviewing an application for special approval from determining if an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety to determining if the operation is as safe or safer than two-person crew operation.During the time of public comment for this rule, a lot of people voiced their support for a requirement for two people on the crew. A letter from 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member would not be as quick to respond to train malfunctions or grade crossing incidents or assist emergency responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. Commenters noted that human factors are the reason for more than half of all railroad accidents. They believe that a bigger crew will ensure the safety of the train as well as its cargo.TechnologyFreight and passenger railroads employ a wide array of technologies to enhance efficiency, improve safety, boost security and much more. Rail industry jargon includes a variety of distinct terms and acronyms. Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems (also called drones), instrumented rail-inspection systems, driverless train, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as drones).Technology doesn't just replace some jobs. It allows people to perform their jobs better and with greater security. Railroads that transport passengers use smartphones and contactless fare cards to increase ridership and increase the efficiency of their system. Other developments, like autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to becoming a reality.The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure safe reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in America is focusing on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar project will see tunnels, bridges, tracks and power systems upgraded and stations renovated or replaced. FRA's recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure law will significantly grow the agency's rail improvement programs.The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is an essential element in this initiative. fela law firm review of the office found that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communication and using inputs of a wide range of stakeholders. But it still needs to focus more on how its research contributes to the department's primary objective of ensuring the safe transportation of goods and people by rail.The agency could improve its effectiveness by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the main freight rail industry industry organization that focuses on policy, research and standard-setting and has created a 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 group's development of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This would apply to both rail transit and on-road vehicles. The agency will want to know the degree of risk that the industry is assessing with fully automated operation, and if the industry is considering any additional safeguards to reduce the risk.InnovationRailroads are using technology to increase worker safety and make business processes more efficient, and ensure that the cargo it transports arrives at its destination safely. Examples of this technological advancement range from the use of sensors and cameras to keep track of freight, and to new railcar designs that keep dangerous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies allow railroads send emergency responders directly to accident sites to minimize risk and damage to property and people.Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most important innovations in rail. It is designed to prevent train-to-train accidents, situations where trains are on track they shouldn't, and other incidents caused by human error. The system is comprised of three parts: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive; and a huge server that gathers and analyzes data.Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to bolster safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to aid security personnel in locating passengers and other items onboard trains in the event in the event of an emergency. The company is also exploring other possibilities to utilize drones, such as using drones to inspect bridges as well as other infrastructure, like replacing the lights on railway towers, which can be hazardous for workers to climb.Other technologies that can be used for passenger railroads include smart track technology, which can detect the presence of people or objects on the tracks and issue an alert to drivers when it's unsafe to proceed. These types of technologies are particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized and other issues in the off-hours, when traffic is at its lowest and fewer people are around to witness an accident.Another important technological advancement in the rail industry is telematics which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to view a traincar's status and condition by real-time tracking. Crews and railcar operators will benefit from increased accountability and visibility which will allow them to improve efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help reduce delays when delivering freight.