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The Federal Railroad AdministrationThe Federal Railroad Administration is among the 10 agencies of DOT that are accountable for intermodal transportation. Its goal is to facilitate the safe and reliable transportation of both people and goods.FRA field inspectors examine the railroad track, train control and signal systems as well as operating procedures. They also investigate complaints.DefinitionFederal railroads are the rail carriers in the United States controlled by the federal government. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) creates and enforces railway safety regulations, manages funds for railroads, and investigates ways to improve the efficiency of rail transportation systems. The FRA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's intermodal transportation division, and its chief executives are the Administrator as well as the Deputy Administrator.The agency is responsible for all passenger and freight transportation that utilizes the nation's railway network. In addition, the agency also supports the rehabilitation of the Northeast Corridor rail passenger service and consolidates the government's support for rail transportation activities. The agency also regulates ownership and operation of intermodal facilities, like tracks, rights of way equipment, real estate and rolling stock. It also oversees federal rail transportation programs.The FRA's responsibilities also include the establishment, through regulation and after an opportunity to comment, a procedure by which anyone can inform the Secretary of Homeland Security any railroad security problems or deficiencies. In addition, the agency establishes policies and conducts inspections to assess the compliance with its rail safety laws in six technical disciplines that include track signals and train control motive power and equipment, operating practices, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.fela railroad accident lawyer is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the rail transportation system is secure, economical and environmentally sustainable. As a result, the agency requires railroads to maintain a safe working environment and provide appropriate training for their employees. The agency also determines and enforces the cost of railroad services to ensure that the public is billed fair prices for transportation services.The Federal Railroad Administration also enacts and enforces rules to prevent discrimination against railroad employees. It also protects whistleblowers against retaliation from railroad carriers. The agency also establishes a procedure by which railroad employees can file complaints regarding the company's actions.The agency's primary mission is to enable the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods to ensure a secure America both now and in the future. The FRA accomplishes this by regulating rail safety, managing programs for assistance to railroads, conducting research to support better safety of railroads and national transportation policy as well as coordinating the development of rail networks and helping the private industry manage railroads. In the past, railroads were dominant in the market, with very little competition. As a result, the industry often abused its position in the market. Hence, Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission and other regulatory agencies to prevent abuses by railroad monopolies.PurposeThe federal railroad is a federal agency that makes regulations, manages rail funds and studies ways to improve the nation's rail transportation system. It manages the railroad infrastructure of the United States and supervises freight and passenger railroads. It is one of ten agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding current railway systems, ensuring capability of the railroad industry to meet growing demand for freight and travel, as well as providing leadership in regional and national system planning.The primary responsibility of the government in the field of rail transportation is safety. The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for this. It has a variety of divisions that oversee the country's freight and passenger railway operations. The Office of Railroad Safety is the largest of them, with around 350 inspectors. It is responsible for conducting safety inspections in six technical disciplines, including track signalling, and train control, motive and equipment operating procedures, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.FRA has various departments, including the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This department is responsible for programs aimed to improve passenger and freight rail transportation, like the Northeast Corridor Future. This department also is responsible for the grants that are given to railways and collaborates with other agencies to plan for the country's rail needs.Another important duty of the FRA is the enforcement of federal laws pertaining to railroads and their employees. This includes stopping railroads from discriminating against workers and ensuring that all railway employees injured are transported to the nearest hospital for first aid treatment. It also prohibits railroads to delay or deny medical treatment for injured railway workers.The FRA is the main regulator of the rail passenger and freight industry, however other agencies manage the economic aspects of rail transportation. Surface Transportation Board is responsible for determining rates and governing economics in the sector. It is the regulatory authority for railroad mergers, line sales, construction and abandonment. Other responsibilities include establishing regulations after opportunity for public input, by which anyone may complain about alleged safety violations to the agency.FunctionsRails transport goods and people from and to cities in the developed world as also to villages in countries that are less developed. They transport raw materials from processing and manufacturing facilities, and then finished goods from these facilities to stores or warehouses. Rail is a crucial mode of transportation for a variety of essential commodities including grain, oil, and coal. In 2020, freight railroads carried more than a quarter of all freight volumes in the United States [PDF].The federal railroad is managed like any other business. It has departments for marketing, operations, sales and an executive department. The department of marketing and sales consults with customers and potential clients to determine what services they need and what they need to cost. The operations department then develops rail services that meet these needs at the cheapest cost to earn money for railroad. The executive department supervises the entire operation, making sure every department is operating efficiently.The government supports the railways through a variety of methods such as grants and subsidised rates on government traffic. Congress also provides funds to help build new track and stations. These subsidies are often in addition to the revenues the railroads earn from tickets and freight contracts.In the United States, the government owns the passenger railway Amtrak. It is a quasi-public, for-profit corporation with a large stockholder, which is the United States government.The Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) principal purpose is to create and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical state of trains and the safety and health of railroad employees. FRA also collects and analyzes data on rail safety to identify patterns and areas that might need improved or increased regulatory attention.FRA also works on other projects to improve the economy and safety of railroad transportation in the United States. For instance, the agency seeks to eliminate obstacles that could hinder railroads' introduction of positive train control systems (PTC). PTC is a safety system that uses sensors and on-board computers to stop the train when it is too close to another vehicle or object.HistoryIn the 1820s-1830s, the first railroads in the United States were built, mostly in New England and Mid-Atlantic. The railroads increased industrialization and brought more food items to market in these areas. This helped the country to become more self-sufficient and less dependent upon imports from abroad, which in turn contributed to a stronger economic base.In the late 19th century the railroad industry experienced a "Golden Age" that saw new, more efficient raillines were built and passenger transportation became popular. The government's efforts in expanding the railroad system was a major factor. For instance, the government granted homesteaders land grants to encourage them to move to the West. Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads also partnered to construct the first transcontinental railroad which allowed travelers to travel from New York City to San Francisco within six days.However in the first half of the 20th century, demand for passenger railroad services declined and other transportation options like automobiles and planes gained in popularity, while stifling regulations choked railroads competitiveness economically. A series of bankruptcies, service cuts, and deferred maintenance followed. In addition, a misguided federal railway regulation led to the demise of the industry.In the year 1970 the federal government began to loosen the regulatory burdens on railroads. The Surface Transportation Board was established to oversee economic aspects of the industry such as mergers and railroad rates. The Federal Railroad Administration was also established to set standards for rail safety and is one of the 10 agencies in the U.S. Department of Transportation that oversees freight and passenger transportation.Since then, a significant deal of investment has been made in the country's railroad infrastructure. The Northeast Corridor, for example was rebuilt to accommodate more efficient, faster and modern high-speed ground transportation (HSGT) trains. There have also been efforts to create more efficient freight rail. FRA hopes to continue working with all transportation agencies to ensure the safety and reliability of rails in the near future. It is the agency's job to help make sure that the nation's transportation system is as efficient as it can be.