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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations The Federal Railroad Administration also provides funding for rail and studies strategies for improving rail safety. FRA field inspectors employ discretion to decide which cases merit the precise and time consuming civil penalty process. This helps ensure that the most serious violations are penalized. Members of SMART-TD and their allies made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to keep two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight isn't over. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration implements a variety of safety measures to protect the health of employees and public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also administers the funding for rail and studies rail improvement strategies and technology. It also develops the implementation and maintenance of a plan for maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services. It also expands and improves strategically the rail network across the nation. The department demands that all rail operators adhere to strict guidelines that empower their employees and provide them with the tools to be secure and productive. This includes taking part in the confidential close-call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective equipment. Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections on equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Anyone who violates the rail safety laws could be penalized civilly. Safety inspectors from the agency have wide discretion to determine whether violations fall within the definition provided by law of an act punishable by civil penalties. Additionally, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division reviews all reports received by regional offices for legality before determining penalties. This discretion is exercised both at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied when they are necessary. A rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his actions and knowingly disregard those standards to be guilty of a civil penalty-worthy offence. The agency does not believe that a person who acts upon a directive from a supervisor has committed a willful offence. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the entire system that transports passengers and goods between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad within a steelmill is not considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, despite the fact that it is physically connected. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, ranging from those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency also oversees rail financing including loans and grants for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and the industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's railroad system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, in addition to addressing the need for additional capacity, strategically expanding the network, and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development. Although the majority of the agency's work is focused on freight transportation, it also manages the transportation of passengers. The agency is working to offer more options for passenger travel and connect passengers with the places they'd like to go. The agency's focus is on enhancing the experience for passengers and enhancing the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring that the rail network is operating efficiently. Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of the crews on trains. In recent times this issue has become controversial. Certain states have passed legislation requiring two-person crews in trains. The final rule codifies the minimum size of crew requirements at an international level, and ensures that all railroads are held to the same safety standards. This rule also requires each railroad that has a one-person train crew to notify FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will enable FRA to assess the requirements of each operation to the standard two-person crew operation. fela accident attorney alters the criteria for reviewing a special approval request to determine if an operation is “consistent” with railroad safety, to determining if the operation is as secure or safer than two-person crew operation. During the time of public comment on this rule, a lot of people voiced their support for a requirement for two people on the crew. A letter from 29 individuals emphasized their concerns that a single crew member might not be as quick to respond to train malfunctions or grade crossing incidents, or assist emergency responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. Commenters pointed out that human factor are responsible for a majority of railroad accidents. They believe that a bigger crew will ensure the security of the train as well as its cargo. Technology Railroads for passenger and freight use various technologies to improve efficiency, improve safety, boost security and more. The rail industry lingo contains a myriad of unique terms and acronyms, but some of the most notable innovations include machines-vision systems, instrumented rail inspection systems, driverless trains, rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly called drones). Technology isn't merely replacing jobs; it's helping individuals to perform their work more efficiently and with greater security. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphone apps and contactless fare payment cards to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to reality. The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote secure reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in the United States is focusing on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollars effort that will see tunnels and bridges repaired, tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations rebuilt or replaced. The FRA's rail improvement program will be significantly expanded by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a major element in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it excelled in keeping in touch with inputs from a broad range of stakeholders. But it still needs to be more focused on how its research helps the department achieve its primary objective of ensuring the safe transportation of goods and people via railway. The agency could enhance its effectiveness by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR), the primary industry association for the freight rail industry, which focuses on research policy, standard-setting and policy, established a Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations in order to help develop standards within the industry. The FRA is interested in the group’s development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This could be applicable to both rail transit and vehicles on the road. The agency will also be looking to know the level of safety risk that the industry perceives associated with implementing fully automated operation and whether or not the industry is considering additional safeguards to mitigate that risk. Innovation Railroads are using technology to increase worker safety and make business processes more efficient, and ensure that the cargo that they transport arrives at its destination safely. Examples of this innovation vary from the use cameras and sensors to keep track of freight, and to new railcar designs that help keep hazardous cargo secure during transit. Some of these technologies enable railroads to dispatch emergency responders directly to accident sites to minimize risk and minimize damage to property and people. Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most significant developments in rail. It will prevent train-to-train accidents, situations when trains are in a position they shouldn't, and other incidents caused by human errors. It is a three-part system comprised of locomotives onboard that track the train and wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a huge backend server that gathers and analyzes data. Trains for passengers also adopt technology to enhance security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist passenger security personnel in finding passengers and other items onboard trains in case in the event of an emergency. The company is also exploring ways to make use of drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb. Smart track technology is another technology that is used in railways for passengers. It is able to detect people or objects on tracks and warn motorists that it is not safe to continue. These technologies are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized or other problems in the evenings, when traffic is low and there are fewer witnesses to an accident. Another significant technological advance in the rail industry is telematics which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to monitor the condition and status of a traincar by real-time tracking. These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews greater accountability and transparency and help them improve efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in delivering freight to customers.