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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 field inspectors use discretion to decide which cases merit the precise and time consuming civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that the most serious violations of punishment are punished. Allies and members of SMART-TD made history in 2024 when they began pushing the FRA to ensure that two people are in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains. The fight isn't over. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration implements a number of safety measures to protect the health of employees and public. It formulates and enforces regulations for rail safety, administers rail funding and researches strategies for improving rail and technologies. It also formulates and implements a strategy to maintain current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically expands and improves the national rail network. The department expects that all rail employers adhere to strict regulations and empower their employees, and provide them with the tools to be secure and productive. This includes taking part in a confidential close-call reporting system, creating 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 on the front lines of enforcement of the rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties may be imposed on those who violate railroad safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have a broad discretion to determine whether a violation falls under the definition provided by law of an offense that is punishable by civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also scrutinizes all reports submitted by regional offices to ensure they are legal before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the regional and field levels helps ensure that the lengthy, time-consuming civil penalty process is applied only in those situations which truly warrant the deterrent impact of a civil penalty. To be guilty of a civil offense an employee of a railroad must know the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions. railroad injury fela lawyer must also knowingly ignore these rules. The agency doesn't consider that an individual who acts on a supervisor's directive has committed a willful offense. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the whole network that carries goods and passengers within and between metropolitan areas and cities. A plant railroad's trackage in the steel mill isn't considered part of the general transportation system by rail even though it is physically connected to it. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations that pertain 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 collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies for improving the nation's rail infrastructure. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the needs for capacity expansion and expanding the network strategically and coordinating the national and regional system planning and development. While the majority of the agency's work is focused on freight transportation, it also manages the transportation of passengers. The agency aims to connect people to the places they'd like to visit and offer more alternatives for travel. The agency is focused primarily on enhancing the experience for passengers and enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and making sure that the rail network continues operating efficiently. Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, including those related to the size of the crews on trains. In recent years the issue has been a source of contention. Some states have passed legislation that requires two-person teams on trains. The final rule codifies the minimum crew size requirements at the federal level, making sure that all railroads are subject to consistent safety standards. This rule also requires each railroad that operates one-person train crews to inform FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will allow FRA to assess the requirements of each operation with those of a two-person standard crew operation. Additionally this rule will change the criteria for reviewing an approval petition that is based on determining whether the operation is “consistent with railroad safety” to determining if approving the operation is safer or more secure than an operation with two crew members. During the public comment period on this rule, many people expressed support for the requirement for a two-person crew. In a letter to the editor, 29 people expressed their concerns that a single crew member is not capable of responding in a timely manner to train malfunctions or incidents at grade crossings, or assist emergency personnel on the highway-rail level crossing. Commenters pointed out that human factor are responsible for more than half of all railroad accidents. They believe that a larger crew will ensure the security of the train and its cargo. Technology Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ various technologies to increase efficiency, improve safety, boost security and more. The language used in the rail industry contains a myriad of distinct terms and acronyms however, 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 merely replacing jobs, it's also empowering people to do their job better and safer. Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of their system. Other developments like autonomous rail cars are getting closer to reality. The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote secure reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in the United States, is focused on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar effort will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems, and tracks updated, and stations rebuilt or replace. The FRA's rail improvement program will be greatly extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central piece in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communications with and using inputs from a broad range of stakeholders. But it must concentrate on how its research aids in the department's main strategic goal of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people via rail. The agency could enhance its effectiveness by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the main industry association for the freight rail industry, which focuses on research, policy and standard setting, established a Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to help establish standards for the industry. FRA is likely to be interested in the development of an automated rail taxonomy. It is a system of standards to clearly and consistently define 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 perceives associated with implementing fully automated operation and whether the industry is considering adding additional safeguards to mitigate that risk. Innovation Railroads are using technology to improve worker safety, make business processes more efficient, and ensure that the freight it transports arrives at its destination in good condition. Examples of this technological advancement vary from the use cameras and sensors to keep track of freight, and to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo secure during transit. Certain of these technologies allow railroads dispatch emergency responders directly to accident sites to reduce the danger and minimize the damage to property and people. Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most significant developments in rail. It can stop train-to-train accidents, instances where trains are on track they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human errors. It is a three-part process consisting of onboard locomotive systems that track the train, wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and an enormous backend server that collects and analyzes data. Trains for passengers are also adopting technology to bolster safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist security staff in locating passengers and items on board trains in case of an emergency. The company is also exploring different ways to use drones, including deploying them to perform inspections of bridges and other infrastructure for example, replacing the lights on railway towers, which could be hazardous for workers to climb. Other technologies that can be used for passenger railroads include smart track technology, which can detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and send out drivers with a warning if it's unsafe to travel. These kinds of technology are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized and other problems during times when traffic volumes are lowest and there are fewer people around to witness an accident. Another important technological breakthrough in the rail industry is telematics, which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to monitor the condition and status of a traincar via real-time tracking. These capabilities give railcar owners and crews better accountability and visibility and can assist them in improving efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays in delivering freight to customers.