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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations It also provides rail funding and studies strategies for improving rail safety. FRA inspectors on the ground employ discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the lengthy and precise civil penalty procedure. This ensures that the violations most deserving of punishment are punished. Members of SMART-TD and their allies made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to allow two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight is not over. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to ensure the safety and health of employees as well as the general public. It creates and enforces regulations for rail safety, administers rail funding and studies strategies for improving rail infrastructure and technologies. It also formulates the implementation and maintenance of an action plan to maintain the current rail infrastructure and services. It also develops and improves the rail network across the nation. The department requires all railroad employers to adhere to strict rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with tools needed to be successful and secure. This includes participating in the confidential close-call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational health and safety committees, with full participation from unions and anti-retaliation protections and providing employees with the necessary 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 multitude of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Those who violate rail safety laws may be punished with civil penalties. The safety inspectors of the agency are able to decide on the extent to which an individual violation is in line with the legal definition of a civil penalty-worthy act. Additionally, the Office of Chief Counsel's security division reviews all reports that are received from regional offices to determine their legality before determining penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the regional and field levels ensures that the lengthy, time-consuming civil penalty process is used only in cases which truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty. A rail employee must be aware of rules and regulations that govern his or her actions, and not knowingly violate those rules to commit a criminal offense that is punishable by a civil penalty. However, the agency does not consider anyone who is acting under a direction by a supervisor as having committed a willful violation. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the entire network that transports passengers and goods between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad in the steel mill 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, including those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency manages railway finance, including loans and grants for service and infrastructure improvement. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies to improve the country's railroad system. This includes ensuring the current rail services and infrastructure as well as addressing the need for new capacity and strategically expanding the network, as well as coordinating regional and national systems planning and development. The agency is responsible for freight transport, but also supervises passenger transportation. The agency is working to connect people with the destinations they desire and offer more alternatives for travel. The agency is focused primarily on improving the experience of passengers and enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and making sure that the rail network is operating efficiently. Railroads are required to abide with a range of federal regulations, which include the ones pertaining to the size and composition of the train crews. This is controversial in recent years, with a few states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. The final rule codifies the minimum size of crew requirements at an international level, and ensures that all railroads are subject to consistent safety standards. This rule also requires each railroad that operates a single-person train crew to notify FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will allow FRA to better identify the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with the parameters of a normal two-person crew operation. Additionally this rule alters the criteria for reviewing an approval petition that is based on to determining whether an operation is “consistent with railroad safety” to determining whether approving the operation would be as secure or as safe as a two-crewmember operation. During the period of public comment for this rule, a large number of people voiced their support for a requirement for two persons on the crew. In a formal letter, 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member will not be in a position to respond in a timely manner to incidents or train malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency response personnel at an elevated highway crossing. Commenters pointed out that human factors are responsible for a majority of railroad accidents. They believe that a larger crew will ensure the security of the train and its cargo. Technology Railroads for passenger and freight use various technologies to enhance efficiency, increase safety, boost security and more. Rail industry jargon covers various unique terms and acronyms. Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems (also called drones) instruments for rail-inspection systems driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (also called drones). Technology isn't only able to replace certain jobs. It empowers people to perform their jobs more effectively and more safely. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards in order to boost ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to becoming a reality. As part of its ongoing effort to advance safe, reliable and affordable transportation options for the country, the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar effort will see tunnels, bridges tracks, power systems, and tracks upgraded and stations being rebuilt or replaced. FRA's recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically grow the agency's rail improvement programs. The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a crucial element in this effort. The National Academies' recent review of the office revealed that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communications with and using inputs from 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 transportation of goods and people via rail. The agency could enhance its efficiency 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 and policy, as well as standard setting and has established a Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping establish standards for the industry. The FRA is interested in the group’s development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently different levels of automation. This could be applicable to both rail transit and vehicles on the road. The agency will also need to understand the level of safety risk that the industry perceives associated with the introduction of fully automated operation and whether 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 help ensure that the cargo they move reaches its destination in good condition. Examples of this kind of innovations vary from the use cameras and sensors to track freight, to the latest railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo secure during transit. Some of these technologies even provide a way for railroads to send emergency response personnel to the scene of an accident so they can quickly mitigate the damage and reduce the risk to people and property. Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most important innovations in rail. It can keep train-to-train accidents out of the way, as well as situations when trains are in a position they shouldn't, and other incidents caused by human error. The system is a three-part system consisting of onboard locomotive systems that track the train, wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a massive 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 assist security staff in locating passengers and other items onboard trains in case of an emergency. The company is also examining ways to use drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lights on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb. Other technologies that can be used for railways for passengers include smart track technology, which is able to detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and send a warning to drivers if it's unsafe for them to proceed. fela settlements are especially useful for detecting unauthorized crossings or other issues in the evenings when the traffic is lower and there are less witnesses to an accident. Another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry is telematics which enables railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to see a traincar's status and condition through real-time tracking. Crews and railcar operators can benefit from increased accountability and visibility, which will help them to increase efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and delay in the delivery of freight.