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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 researches rail improvement strategies. FRA inspectors on the ground use discretion to determine which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty procedure. This helps 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 in the cabs of freight locomotives. trains. The fight continues. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration implements a variety of safety measures to ensure the health of employees and public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also administers rail funding and studies rail improvement strategies and technology. It also creates plans, implements and maintains a plan for maintaining current rail services and infrastructure. It also expands and improves strategically the national rail network. The department requires all rail employers to abide by strict rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with the tools to be successful and secure. This includes participating in a 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 gear. FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct hundreds of investigations into complaints of non-compliance. Civil penalties are imposed on those who violate rail safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have wide decision-making power to determine if a violation falls under the definition provided by law of an offense that is punishable with civil penalties. In addition the Office of Chief Counsel's security division reviews all reports received from regional offices to determine their legal sufficiency before assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised at both the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied in cases that warrant their use. To be convicted of a civil violation, a rail employee must know the rules and regulations governing his or her actions. They also must be aware that they ignore these rules. However the agency does not consider anyone who is acting under a direction from a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the entire network that carries goods and passengers between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad within the steel mill is not considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, despite the fact that it's physically connected. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations, such as those relating to safety and the transportation of dangerous substances. The agency is responsible for managing railway finance, including grants and loan for infrastructure and service improvement. The agency works with other DOT agencies as well as industry to devise strategies for improving the nation's rail system. This includes maintaining current rail infrastructure and services, in addition to addressing the need for additional capacity strategically expanding the network as well as coordinating regional and national systems planning and development. The agency is mostly responsible for freight transport, but also supervises passenger transportation. The agency is working to offer more options for passenger travel and connect people with the places they would like to travel to. The agency is focused on improving the experience for passengers and enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring that the rail network continues to operate efficiently. fela lawsuits must abide by a variety of federal regulations, relating to the size of crews on trains. In recent years, this issue has been a source of contention. Certain states have passed legislation mandating two-person crews in trains. This final rule codifies the minimum size of crew requirements at the federal level, making sure that all railroads are held to the same safety standards. This rule also requires each railroad that operates a one-person train crew to notify FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will allow FRA to identify the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with the standard two-person crew operation. Additionally, this rule changes the review standard for a special approval petition from determining whether an operation is “consistent with railroad safety” to determining whether the operation would be as safer or more secure than an operation with two crew members. During the time of public comments for this rule, a large number of people voiced their support for a requirement for a two person crew. In a formal letter, 29 people expressed their concerns that a single crew member would not be in a position to respond with the speed required to respond to train accidents or malfunctions at grade crossings, or assist emergency response personnel on a highway-rail level crossing. The commenters emphasized that human factors are responsible for more than half all railroad accidents and believe that a larger team will ensure the safety of both the train and its cargo. Technology Freight and passenger railroads employ numerous technologies to improve efficiency, add security, increase safety and much more. The rail industry vernacular contains a myriad of unique terms and acronyms, but some of the most notable innovations include machine vision systems, instrumentsed rail inspection systems, driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly known as drones). Technology isn't just about replacing certain jobs. It allows people to do their jobs better and safer. Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards in order to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of their system. Other innovations such as autonomous rail cars are getting closer to becoming reality. The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve secure, reliable, and affordable transportation in the United States, is focused on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This is a multi-billion-dollar project that will see tunnels and bridges repaired, tracks and power systems upgraded and stations rebuilt or replaced. FRA's recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically expand the agency's rail improvements programs. The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key part of this initiative. Recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging with, maintaining communication and utilizing inputs from a range of stakeholders. It must continue to be aware of how its research contributes to the department's primary objective of ensuring the safety of people and goods via railways. One area in which the agency may be able to increase its effectiveness is in identifying and assisting the development of automated train technology and systems. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail business organization that is focused on policy, research and standard-setting and has created a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help in developing industry standards for implementing the technology. FRA will be interested in the creation of an automated rail taxonomy, which is 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 will also want to know the level of risk to safety that the industry sees when implementing a fully automated system and whether the industry is contemplating additional safeguards to mitigate that risk. Innovation Rail companies are embracing technology to improve worker safety, increase efficiency in business processes and ensure that the freight they transport reaches its destination intact. Examples of this kind of innovation range from the use of cameras and sensors to keep track of freight, and to new railcar designs that keep dangerous cargo secure during transit. Some of these technologies even provide a way for railroads to send emergency responders to areas of accidents so that they can quickly mitigate the risks to property and people. Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most significant developments in rail. It will prevent train-to-train accidents, situations where trains are on track they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human error. The system is comprised of three components: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a huge server that collects and analyses data. Trains for passengers are also adopting technology to improve security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to assist passenger security staff in locating passengers and other items onboard trains in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to use drones. They could be used to inspect bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lights on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb. Other technologies that can be utilized for railways for passengers include smart track technology, which is able to detect the presence of people or objects on the tracks and send a warning to drivers if it's unsafe to proceed. These technologies are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized or other issues in the evenings when the traffic is lower and there are less witnesses to an accident. Another important technological advancement in the railway industry is telematics which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to see the status and condition of a traincar by real-time tracking. Crews and railcar operators can benefit from increased accountability and transparency which can help them to improve efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays when delivering freight.