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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail, provides rail funding and studies strategies for improving rail safety. FRA inspectors on the ground employ discretion to decide which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty procedure. This discretion helps to ensure that the most serious violations are punished. Members of SMART-TD and their allies have made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to keep two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight continues. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to ensure the health of employees as well as the public. It develops and enforces regulations for rail safety as well as manages funding for rail and studies strategies for improving rail infrastructure and technology. It also formulates the implementation and maintenance of plans for the maintenance of the current rail infrastructure and services. fela lawsuits expands and improves strategically the rail network across the nation. The department requires all railroad employers to adhere to strict rules and regulations, empower their employees and provide them with tools needed to be successful and safe. This includes participating in an anonymous close-call reporting system, creating labor-management occupational safety and health committees, with full participation from unions and anti-retaliation clauses and providing employees with the needed personal protective equipment. FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct hundreds of investigations into complaints of non-compliance. Anyone who is in violation of the safety rules for rail can be subject to civil penalties. Safety inspectors from the agency have a broad discretion on whether an individual violation is in line with the statutory description of a criminal penalty-worthy act. In addition, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division examines all reports submitted by regional offices for legality prior to assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised at the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied when they are necessary. To be guilty of a civil offense an employee of a railroad must know the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions. They must also be aware of and disregard these standards. However the agency does not take any person who is acting under a direction from a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines the “general railroad system of transportation” as the entire network that passengers and goods travel within cities and metropolitan areas or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad within the steelmill isn't considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, despite the fact that it is physically connected. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, including those pertaining to safety and movement of hazardous materials. The agency also oversees rail financing including loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the rail system of the United States. This includes ensuring the existing rail infrastructure and services as well as addressing the need for new capacity 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 oversees passenger transportation. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passenger travel and connect passengers with the places they want to go. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience and improving the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring the rail network continues to operate efficiently. Railroads must comply with many federal regulations, relating to the size of the crews on trains. This issue has become an issue of contention in recent years, with several states passing legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum size crew requirements, making sure that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards. This rule also requires each railroad that operates one-person train crews to notify FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will enable FRA to compare the parameters of each operation with the standard two-person crew operation. This rule also changes the review standard of a special approval request to determine if an operation is “consistent” with railroad safety to determining if the operation is safer or more secure than a two-person crew operations. During the period of public comments for this rule, a lot of people expressed their support for a requirement of two persons on the crew. In a letter to the editor 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member would not be in a position to respond in a timely manner to train malfunctions or incidents at grade crossings or assist emergency personnel on the highway-rail level crossing. The commenters emphasized that human factors account for more than half railroad accidents and they believe that a larger team will ensure the safety of both the train and the cargo it transports. Technology Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ a wide array of technologies to enhance efficiency, improve security, increase safety and more. Rail industry jargon comprises a variety of unique terms and acronyms. Some of the most notable include machine vision systems (also known as drones) instruments for rail-inspection systems, driverless train, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as drones). Technology isn't just replacing certain jobs — it's empowering people to perform their jobs more efficiently and with greater security. Railroads for passengers use apps on smartphones and contactless fare cards in order to increase ridership and increase the efficiency of their system. Other innovations, such as autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to reality. The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure safe reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in America is focusing on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollars project that will see bridges and tunnels rebuilt as well as tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations reconstructed or upgraded. The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will substantially expand the agency's rail improvements programs. The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central component of this initiative. Recent National Academies review of the office found it excelled at engaging in a continuous dialogue and utilizing the inputs of a wide range of stakeholders. However, it needs to be more focused on how its research helps the department achieve its primary strategic goal of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods via rail. The agency could enhance its effectiveness 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, which focuses on research policy, standard-setting and policy, established the Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping create standards within the industry. The FRA is interested in the group's creation of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently different levels of automation. This would apply to both rail transit and on-road vehicles. The agency will also want to understand the level of risk to safety that the industry sees with the introduction of fully automated operation and whether the industry is contemplating additional protections to minimize the risk. Innovation Railroads are adopting technology to increase worker safety and improve business processes. efficient and ensure that the freight it transports arrives at its destination intact. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight to innovative railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies enable railroads to send emergency responders directly to accident sites to minimize the risk and damage to people and property. One of the most renowned innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC) which will prevent collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks that shouldn't be, and other accidents that are caused by human mistakes. The system is a three-part system comprised of onboard locomotive systems that track the train and wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a huge backend server that collects and analyzes data. Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to enhance safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to aid security staff in locating passengers and items on board trains in case in an emergency. The company is also exploring different ways to use drones, for instance, using drones to inspect bridges and other infrastructure for example, replacing the lights on railway towers that could be hazardous for workers to climb. Other technologies that can be used for railways for passengers include smart track technology that can detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and send a warning to drivers if it's unsafe to travel. These technologies are especially effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other problems in the evenings when the traffic is lower and there are less witnesses to an accident. Another significant technological advance in the rail industry is telematics which allows railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to see a traincar's status and condition through real-time tracking. Railcar operators and crews can benefit from greater accountability and transparency which can help them increase efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and delay in the delivery of freight.