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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations, provides rail funding and conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure. FRA inspectors on the ground employ discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty procedure. This discretion helps to ensure that the most serious violations are penalized. SMART-TD and its allies created history in 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be allowed in the cabs of freight locomotives. trains. The fight continues. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a range of safety measures in place to protect the health and welfare of employees as well as the general public. It is responsible for creating and enforcing safety regulations for rail. It also oversees the funding for rail and studies rail improvement strategies and technological developments. It also formulates, implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of current rail services and infrastructure. It also expands and improves strategically the national rail network. The department expects all rail companies to abide by strict rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with tools needed to be successful and secure. This includes taking part in the confidential close-call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational safety and health committees that have full union participation and antiretaliation provisions and giving employees the necessary personal protective equipment. Inspectors of the FRA are at the leading edge of enforcing rail safety regulations and laws. They perform routine inspections on equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Civil penalties can be imposed on those who violate the rail safety laws. The agency's safety inspectors are able to decide on the extent to which a particular violation meets the statutory description of a civil penalty-worthy act. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also scrutinizes all reports submitted by regional offices to ensure they are legal before assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised both at the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied in situations that warrant them. To be considered guilty of a civil infringement the employee of a rail company must know the rules and regulations that govern the conduct of his or her employees. They also must be aware that they disregard these standards. However, the agency does not consider anyone who is acting under a direction by a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines the “general railroad system of transportation” as the entire system that allows passengers and goods to travel within cities and metropolitan areas and between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in the steel mill isn't considered to be part of the general transportation system that trains, even being physically connected to it. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, including those pertaining to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency is responsible for managing rail finance, including loans and grants to improve service and infrastructure. The agency works with other DOT agencies and with industry to develop strategies to improve the country's railroad system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, responding to the demands for additional capacity, expanding the network strategically, and coordinating national and regional system development and planning. The agency is primarily responsible for freight transportation but also oversees passenger transport. The agency is working to provide more options for passengers and connect people to the places they would like to go. The agency is focused on enhancing the passenger experience, increasing the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring the rail network continues to operate efficiently. Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, including those related to the size of crews on trains. In recent times this issue has been a source of contention. Some states have passed legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule outlines the minimum requirements for crew size at the federal level, making sure that all railroads are subject to the same safety standards. This rule also requires that every railroad that has a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will enable FRA to assess the requirements of each operation to the standard two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the review standard of a special approval request from determining if an operation is “consistent” with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is safer or more secure than a two-person crew operations. During the public comment period for this rule, many people supported the requirement for a two-person crew. A form letter sent by 29 people outlined their concerns that a lone crewmember could not be as quick to respond to train-related malfunctions or crossing incidents, or assist emergency responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. The commenters noted that human factors are responsible for more than half of railroad accidents, and they think that a bigger crew will ensure the safety of both the train and the cargo it transports. Technology Railroads for passenger and freight use a wide array of technologies to increase efficiency, increase security, increase safety and much more. The language used in the rail industry includes a variety of distinct 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 just replacing certain jobs — it's empowering people to perform their jobs more effectively and safely. Railroads that transport passengers use smartphones and contactless fare cards to increase ridership and increase the efficiency of their system. Other innovations like autonomous rail cars 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 America is focusing on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This multi-billion dollar project will see tunnels, bridges tracks, power systems, and tracks updated, and stations rebuilt or replace. fela claims passed bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically increase the agency's rail improvement programs. 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 was successful in engaging, maintaining communication with inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. But it must be more focused on how its research helps the department achieve its primary strategic goal of ensuring safe transportation of goods and people by railway. The agency could increase its efficiency by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the main freight rail industry business organization that is focused on research, policy, and standardization the Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to assist in the development of industry standards for implementing the technology. FRA is likely to be interested in the group's creation of an automated rail taxonomy, which 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 need to know the degree of risk to safety that the industry believes is associated with the introduction of fully automated operation and whether the industry is contemplating additional security measures to reduce the risk. Innovation Railroads are using technology to improve worker safety and make business processes more efficient and help ensure that the cargo that they transport arrives at its destination intact. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight, to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Some of these technologies allow railroads dispatch emergency personnel directly to the scene of an accident to reduce the risk and minimize damage to people and property. One of the most well-known innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC), which will inhibit collisions between trains and train, situations where trains are on tracks that shouldn't be, as well as other accidents resulting from human mistakes. This system consists of three components: onboard locomotive systems which track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive; and a massive server that analyzes and collects data. Railroads that transport passengers are also embracing technology to bolster security and safety. Amtrak, for example, is testing the use of drones to help train security personnel locate passengers and other items in an emergency. Amtrak is also investigating other possibilities to utilize drones, including deploying them to perform inspections of bridges and other infrastructure, such as replacing the lighting on railway towers, which can be hazardous for workers to climb. Smart track technology is another technology that can be utilized in railways that transport passengers. It can detect people or objects on tracks and notify motorists that it is not safe to continue. These technologies are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized or other issues in the evenings when traffic is less and there are fewer witnesses to an accident. Telematics is another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry. It allows shippers, railways and other stakeholders to monitor a traincar in real-time. These capabilities give railcar owners and crews greater accountability and visibility and can aid in improving efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays in the delivery of freight to customers.