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The Federal Railroad Administration and TechnologyThe Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail, provides rail funding and researches rail improvement strategies.FRA inspectors on the ground use discretion to determine which cases merit the time-consuming and precise civil penalty procedure. This discretion helps ensure that the most serious violations of punishment are penalized.Members of SMART-TD and their allies have made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to ensure that two people are in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains. The fight continues.SafetyThe Federal Railroad Administration has a range of safety measures in place to protect the safety and health of employees and the 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 technology. It also creates and implements a strategy to ensure that current infrastructure, services, and capacity and strategically expands and improves the nation's rail network. The department expects that all rail operators adhere to strict regulations and empower their employees, and provide them with tools to be secure and productive. This includes participating in the secure close call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational health and safety committees, with full participation from unions and anti-retaliation safeguards, and providing employees with needed personal safety equipment.Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail regulations and laws. They perform routine inspections on equipment and conduct investigations into hundreds of complaints. Those who violate the rail safety laws could be subject to civil penalties. Safety inspectors at the agency have a broad discretion to determine whether violations fall within the definition provided by law of an offense that is punishable by civil penalties. In addition, the Office of Chief Counsel's security division examines all reports submitted from regional offices to determine their legal sufficiency before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion both at the field and regional levels helps ensure that the lengthy, time-consuming civil penalty process is used only in situations that truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty.To be guilty of a civil offense, a rail employee must know the rules and regulations that govern the conduct of his or her employees. They also must be aware that they ignore these rules. However, the agency does not consider anyone who follows a directive by a supervisor as having committed a willful violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system over which goods and passengers travel within cities and metropolitan areas or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in the steelmill isn't considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, even though it's physically connected.fela lawsuit settlements is responsible for establishing regulations for trains that pertain to safety and the movement of dangerous substances. The agency oversees rail finance, including loans and grants for service and infrastructure improvement. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies for improving the nation's rail system. This includes maintaining current rail infrastructure and services and making sure that there is enough capacity and strategically expanding the network, and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development.Although the majority of the agency's activities are focused on freight transportation, it also manages the transportation of passengers. The agency aims to connect people to the places they'd like to visit and offer more choices for travel. The agency is focused primarily on enhancing the experience for passengers and enhancing the safety of the existing fleet and ensuring the rail system continues to operate efficiently.Railroads are required to abide with a variety of federal regulations, which include those relating to the size and composition of crews on trains. In recent times the issue has become a source of controversy. Some states have passed legislation that requires two-person teams on trains. This final rule codifies federally the minimum size crew requirements, making sure that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.This law also requires that each railroad operating a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will allow FRA to better identify the specifics of each operation and compare them with those of a normal two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the review standard of a special approval request from determining whether an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety to determining if the operation is as safe or safer than two-person crew operations.During the public comment period on this rule, many people expressed support for a two-person 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 highway-rail grade crossing. The commenters pointed out that human factors account for more than half railroad accidents, and they believe that a larger team would help ensure the safety of the train and the cargo it transports.TechnologyFreight and passenger railroads employ various technologies to increase efficiency, add security, improve safety and much more. Rail industry jargon covers various specific terms and acronyms. Some of the most well-known include machine vision systems (also known as drones) and rail-inspection systems that are instrumented, driverless train, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (also called drones).Technology isn't merely replacing jobs, it's also empowering people to perform their jobs more efficiently and with greater security. Railroads that transport passengers use smartphones and contactless fare cards in order to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of their system. Other innovations such as autonomous rail cars are coming closer to becoming reality.The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve secure, reliable, and affordable transportation in America, is focused on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar project will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems, and tracks updated and stations being rebuilt or replaced. FRA's recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically grow the agency's rail improvement programs.The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a key component of this effort. The most recent National Academies review of the office found that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communication and using inputs from a range of stakeholders. But it must be more focused 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 increase its efficiency by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the principal industry association for the freight rail industry that focuses on research policy, standard-setting and policy created an Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping establish standards for the industry.The FRA is interested in the development of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles, a system that defines clearly and consistently different levels of automation. This would apply to rail transit as well as on-road vehicles. The agency will also need to understand the level of safety risk that the industry sees when implementing a fully automated system and whether the industry is contemplating additional protections to minimize the risk.InnovationRail companies are embracing technology to improve worker safety, increase efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the freight they transport reaches its destination in good condition. Examples of such innovation vary from the use sensors and cameras to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that keep dangerous cargo secure during transit. Some of these technologies even provide a way for railroads to send emergency responders to the scene of an accident so they can swiftly reduce damage and minimize risk to property and people.One of the most renowned innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC), which will inhibit collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks that shouldn't be, and other accidents that are caused by human error. This system consists of three components: 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 also embrace technology to improve security and safety. Amtrak is one example. It is experimenting with drones to help train security personnel find passengers and other items in an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to utilize drones. They could be used to examine bridges and other infrastructure, or to replace the lights on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb.Smart track technology is a different technology that can be used in passenger railroads. It is able to detect people or objects on tracks and notify drivers if it is unsafe to continue. These kinds of technologies can be particularly valuable for detecting unauthorized crossings and other problems in the off-hours, when traffic is at its lowest and fewer people are around to witness an accident.Telematics is another important technological breakthrough in the rail industry. It allows shippers, railways and other parties to monitor a traincar in real-time. These capabilities give railcar owners and crews better control and visibility. They can also help them improve efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in delivering freight to customers.