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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail The Federal Railroad Administration also provides funding for rail and conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure. FRA inspectors on the ground make use of discretion to decide which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty process. This discretion helps ensure that those violations most deserving of punishment are punished. SMART-TD, along with its allies, made history in 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be in the cabs of freight locomotives. trains. The fight continues. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to safeguard the health and welfare of its employees and the general public. It develops and enforces rail safety regulations as well as manages funding for rail and researches strategies for improving rail and new technologies. It also develops and implements a strategy to ensure that current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically expands and enhances the national rail network. The department expects all railroad employers to abide by strict rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with tools to succeed and stay safe. This includes participating in an anonymous close-call reporting system, creating labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and giving employees the necessary personal protective gear. FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of railway safety regulations and laws. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations of complaints of non-compliance. fela accident attorney who violates rail safety laws may be subject to civil penalties. Safety inspectors at the agency have a wide discretion to determine whether violations fall within the definition provided by law of an offense that is punishable with civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also examines the reports submitted by regional offices to determine if they are legal prior to imposing penalties. This discretion is exercised both at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used when they are necessary. A rail worker must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his actions and be aware of the standards to commit a criminal offense that is punishable by a civil penalty. However the agency does not consider any individual who follows a directive from a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the entire system that carries goods and passengers within and between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad in the steel mill is not considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, even though it is physically connected. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, including those related to safety and movement of hazardous materials. The agency also manages rail financing which includes loans and grants for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies to improve the nation's railroad system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for capacity expansion and expanding the network strategically and coordinating national and regional system planning and development. While most of the agency's work is focused on freight transportation, it also oversees the transportation of passengers. The agency is working to offer more options for passengers and connect people with the places they'd like to travel to. The agency is focused primarily on improving the experience of passengers, enhancing safety of the existing fleet and ensuring 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 the train crews. This is controversial in recent years, with a few states passing legislation to require two-person crews on trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum size of crew requirements, making sure that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards. This law also requires that each 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 with those of a two-person standard crew operation. This rule also changes the review standard of an approval request that is a special case from determining whether an operation is “consistent” with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is safer or less risky than a two-person crew operation. During the public comment period on this rule, many people backed a two-person crew requirement. A letter from 29 people outlined their concerns that a lone crewmember could not be as quick to respond to train-related malfunctions or crossing incidents, or assist emergency responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. The commenters noted that human factors are responsible for more than half railroad accidents, and they believe that a larger crew would help ensure the safety of both the train and the cargo it transports. Technology Freight and passenger rails employ various technologies to increase efficiency, increase security, and improve safety. Rail industry jargon includes various distinct terms and acronyms. Some of the most well-known include machine vision systems (also known as drones) instruments for rail-inspection systems driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicle (also known as drones). Technology isn't just about replacing certain jobs. It empowers people to do their jobs better and more safely. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards in order to boost ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to becoming reality. As part of its ongoing efforts to improve secure, reliable and affordable transportation for the entire nation In its ongoing effort to ensure safe, reliable and affordable transportation for the nation, the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar project will see tunnels, bridges tracks, power systems, and tracks upgraded and stations being rebuilt or replaced. The FRA's rail improvements program will be substantially extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a crucial element in this effort. Recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging, maintaining communication and using inputs from a range of stakeholders. But it still needs to be more focused on how its research contributes to the department's primary strategic goal of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods by rail. The agency could increase its efficiency by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the principal industry association for the freight rail industry that is focused on research policy, standard-setting and policy, established an Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping create standards within the industry. FRA will be interested in the group's development of an automated rail taxonomy, a system of standards to clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that will be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency would like to know the degree of risk the industry sees in fully automated operation, and if the industry is contemplating any additional measures to mitigate the risk. Innovation Rail companies are embracing technology to enhance worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the freight they transport reaches its destination intact. Examples of this innovations include the use of cameras and sensors to track freight, to the latest railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Some of these technologies allow railroads to send emergency responders to locations of accidents so they can swiftly mitigate damage and minimize risk to people and property. One of the most well-known innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC) that will stop collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks that shouldn't be, as well as other accidents resulting from human errors. This system is a three-part process consisting of onboard locomotive systems that track the train, wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive, and a huge backend server that gathers and analyzes data. Trains for passengers are also adopting technology to improve security and safety. Amtrak is one example. It is experimenting with drones in order to help security personnel on trains locate passengers and other items in an emergency. The company is also exploring other possibilities to utilize drones, including deploying drones to conduct inspections of bridges as well as other infrastructure, such as replacing the lighting on railway towers, which could be hazardous for workers to climb. Smart track technology is another technology that can be used in passenger railroads. It is able to detect objects or people on tracks and notify motorists that it is not safe to continue. These types of technologies can be particularly useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized as well as other issues that can arise during times when traffic volumes are lowest and there are fewer people to witness an accident. Another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry is telematics which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to monitor a traincar's status and condition by real-time tracking. Railcar operators and crews can benefit from greater accountability and transparency, which will help them to improve efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and delay in the delivery of freight.