The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for the safety of rail, regulations and enforcement, as well as funding for rail, and research on rail improvement strategies.

FRA inspectors on the ground employ discretion to determine which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty procedure. This discretion helps to ensure that the most serious violations are penalized.

SMART-TD and its allies made history in 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be allowed to sit in the locomotive cabs of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration implements a variety of safety measures to protect the health of employees and public. It creates and enforces rail safety regulations and oversees the funding for rail. It also researches strategies for improving rail and technology. It also formulates and implements a strategy to maintain current infrastructure, rail services and capacity, and strategically develops and enhances the national rail network. The department requires that all rail companies adhere to strict guidelines, empower their employees and provide them with the tools to be safe and successful. This includes an anonymous close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective equipment.

FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of the rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Those who violate the rail safety laws could be punished with civil penalties. Safety inspectors from the agency have broad discretion over whether an individual violation is in line with the statutory definition of a crime that is punishable by civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also examines all reports submitted by regional offices to ensure that they are legal prior to imposing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the regional and field levels helps ensure that the time-consuming, costly civil penalty process is applied only in situations that are truly deserving of the effect of a civil penalty.

To be guilty of a civil violation the employee of a rail company must know the rules and regulations that govern the conduct of his or her employees. They must also knowingly not adhere to these rules. The agency does not consider that an individual 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 network over which goods and passengers travel within cities and metropolitan areas, or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in a steelmill 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 the movement of hazardous materials. The agency also manages financing for rail, including grants and loans for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies for improving the nation's rail infrastructure. This includes maintaining existing rail infrastructure and services and addressing the need for new capacity, strategically expanding the network, as well as coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.

While the majority of the agency's work is focused on freight transportation, it also handles passenger transportation. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passenger travel and connect people with the places they'd like to travel to. The agency is focused on improving the experience for passengers, improving the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring that the railway system continues to function efficiently.

Railroads must comply with a variety of federal Employers’ regulations, including the ones pertaining to the size and composition of the train crews. This is a controversial one in recent years, with a few states passing legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. The final rule codifies the minimum size of crew requirements at a federal level, ensuring that all railroads are held to the same safety standards.

This also requires every railroad operating a one-person train crew to notify FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will allow FRA to identify the specifics of each operation and compare them with the typical two-person crew operation. In addition this rule alters the review standard for an approval petition that is based on determining whether the operation is "consistent with railroad safety" to determining if approving the operation would be as secure or as safe as a two-crewmember operation.

During the period of public comment for attorneys this rule, a large number of people voted for a requirement for a two person crew. A letter written by 29 individuals emphasized their concerns that a lone crewmember could not be as quick to respond to train-related malfunctions or crossing incidents, or assist emergency response personnel at a highway rail grade crossing. Commenters emphasized that human factors are responsible for more than half all railroad accidents. They believe that a bigger crew will ensure the safety of the train as well as its cargo.

Technology

Freight and passenger rails employ different technologies to improve efficiency, enhance safety, and boost security. The rail industry lingo contains a myriad of unique terms and acronyms, but some of the most significant developments include machine vision systems, instrumented rail inspection systems, driverless trains, rolling data centers and drones that are not piloted (commonly known as drones).

Technology isn't only able to replace certain jobs. It helps people perform their jobs better and more safely. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and improve the efficiency of the 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 promote safe reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in America is focusing on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar effort will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems, and tracks upgraded and stations renovated or replaced. The FRA's rail improvements program will be significantly expanded by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central element in this effort. The National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it excelled in keeping in touch using inputs from a broad range of stakeholders. It is still required to be aware of how its research contributes towards the department's primary objective of ensuring safe movement of people and goods by rail.

The agency could improve its effectiveness by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads, the main freight rail industry industry organization that focuses on research, policy, attorney and standard setting, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to assist in the development of industry standards for the implementation of the technology.

FRA is interested in the group's creation of an automated rail taxonomy. It is a standard that will clearly and consistently define different levels of automation that would be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will also be looking to understand the level of safety risk that the industry perceives associated when implementing a fully automated system and whether or not the industry is considering additional protections to minimize the risk.

Innovation

Rail companies are embracing technology to increase worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes and ensure that the freight they transport reaches its destination in good condition. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight to new railcar designs that help keep dangerous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies allow railroads to send emergency responders to the scene of an accident so they can swiftly mitigate damage and reduce the risk to property and lives.

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 where they shouldn't be, and other accidents that result from human error. The system is comprised of three components: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive and a massive server that collects and analyses data.

Railroads that transport passengers are also embracing technology to improve safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist passenger security personnel in finding passengers and items on board trains in the event in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also investigating other possibilities to utilize drones, such as using them to perform inspections of bridges and other infrastructure like replacing the lights on railway towers, which can be hazardous for workers to climb.

Other technologies that can be utilized for passenger railroads include smart track technology, which is able to detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and send out an alert to drivers when it's unsafe for them to proceed. These technologies are particularly useful for detecting unauthorized crossings or other issues during the evenings, when traffic is low and there are less witnesses to an accident.

Telematics is a significant technological advancement in the railway industry. It allows railways, shippers and other parties to follow a traincar's progress in real-time. These capabilities provide railcar operators and their crews more accountability and visibility and can aid in improving efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in delivering freight to customers.