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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for rail safety regulations and enforcement rail funding and research on improving rail strategies FRA field inspectors make use of discretion to decide which cases warrant the exact and time consuming civil penalty process This ensures that the violations most deserving of punishment are penalized Members of SMARTTD and their allies made history in 2024 when they began pushing the FRA to allow two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains The fight continues Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to safeguard the safety and health of its employees and the general public It formulates and enforces rail safety regulations administers rail funding and researches strategies for improving rail and new technologies It also develops plans implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of current rail services and infrastructure It also develops and improves the national rail network The department demands that all rail employers adhere to strict regulations that empower their employees and provide them with tools to be secure and productive This includes participation in the confidential closecall reporting system setting up labormanagement occupational health and safety committees with full union participation as well as antiretaliation safeguards and providing employees with personal protection equipment FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of railway safety regulations and laws They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations into complaints of noncompliance Civil penalties may be applied to those who break rail safety laws Safety inspectors from the agency have a broad decisionmaking power to determine if a violation falls under the statutory definition of an act punishable by civil penalties The Office of Chief Counsels safety division also examines the reports that regional offices submit to ensure that they are legal prior to imposing penalties The exercise of this discretion at both the field and regional levels helps ensure that the timeconsuming costly civil penalty process is utilized only in situations that truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty Rail employees must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions and not knowingly violate those guidelines to commit a criminal offense that is punishable by a civil penalty The agency doesnt consider that an individual who acts upon a directive from a supervisor has committed a willful offence The agency defines the general railroad system of transportation as the whole network over which goods and passengers travel within cities and metropolitan areas or between them A plant railroads trackage in the steel mill isnt considered part of the general rail system of transportation even though it is physically connected to it Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations including those related to safety and movement of hazardous materials The agency manages railway finance including grants and loan for service and infrastructure improvement The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to develop strategies to improve the nations rail infrastructure This includes ensuring the current rail services and infrastructure as well as addressing the need for new capacity strategically expanding the network as well as coordinating regional and national systems planning and development Although the majority of the agencys activities are focused on freight transportation it also oversees passenger transportation The agency aims to connect people to destinations they desire and offer more options for travel The agency is focused primarily on enhancing the experience for passengers and enhancing the safety of the existing fleet and ensuring the rail system 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 fela lawyers have passed legislation mandating twoperson crews on trains This final rule codifies the minimum requirements for crew size at a federal level ensuring that all railroads are subject to the same safety standards This also requires every railroad that operates a oneperson train crew to notify FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment This will allow FRA to better understand the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with those of a normal twoperson crew operation Additionally this rule will change the standard of review for the special approval petition from to determining whether an operation is consistent with railroad safety to determining whether approving the operation would be as safe or safer than an operation with two crew members During the public comment period for this rule many people expressed support for a twoperson crew requirement A form letter sent by 29 people outlined their concerns that a single crew member would not be as quick to respond to trainrelated malfunctions or crossing incidents or assist emergency response personnel at a highwayrail grade crossing Commenters noted that human factors are responsible for a majority of railroad accidents They believe that a bigger crew would ensure the safety of the train and its cargo Technology Trains for passenger and freight use a variety of technologies to improve efficiency improve safety and boost security The rail industry vernacular includes many specific terms and acronyms however some of the most notable innovations include machinesvision systems instrumented rail inspection systems driverless trains rolling data centers and drones that are not piloted commonly called drones Technology isnt just replacing some jobs its empowering individuals to perform their work better and safer Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and improve the efficiency of the system Other innovations such as autonomous rail vehicles are moving closer to becoming reality As part of its ongoing efforts to improve secure reliable and affordable transportation for the nation In its ongoing effort to ensure safe reliable and affordable transportation for the nation the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure This multibilliondollar project will see bridges tunnels tracks power systems and tracks upgraded and stations being rebuilt or replaced The FRAs rail improvements program will be substantially extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law The Office of Research Development and Technology of the agency is a crucial part of this initiative The National Academies recent review of the office found that it excelled at engaging maintaining communications using inputs from a broad range of stakeholders It is still required to focus on how its research contributes to the departments primary goal of ensuring the safety of people and goods via railways The agency could increase its effectiveness by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technology The Association of American Railroads AAR the primary industry association for the freight rail industry that focuses on research and policy as well as standard setting created the Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations in order to help create standards within the industry FRA will be interested in the creation of an automated rail taxonomy which is a system of standards to clearly and consistently define different levels of automation that will be applicable to both rail and onroad transit vehicles The agency would like to know the degree of risk that the industry is assessing with fully automated operation and if the industry is contemplating any additional safeguards to reduce the risk Innovation Railroads are using technology to improve worker safety and make business processes more efficient and ensure that the freight it transports arrives at its destination in good condition These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transport Certain of these technologies allow railroads dispatch emergency personnel directly to accident sites to reduce the risk and damages to property and individuals One of the most renowned innovations in rail is Positive Train Control PTC which will inhibit collisions between trains and train situations where trains are on tracks that shouldnt be as well as other accidents that result from human error This system is a threepart process consisting of onboard locomotive systems that track the train wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a massive backend server that gathers and analyzes data Passenger railroads also embrace technology to improve security and safety Amtrak is one example It is experimenting with drones to assist security personnel on trains find passengers and other items in the event of an emergency The company is also exploring ways to make use of drones They could be used to inspect bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lighting on railway towers which are dangerous for workers to climb Other technologies that can be utilized for railways for passengers include smart track technology which can detect the presence of people or objects on the tracks and send out an alert to drivers when its unsafe to proceed These kinds of technologies can be particularly valuable for detecting unauthorized crossings as well as other issues that can arise in the offhours when traffic levels are lower and fewer people are around to witness an accident Another important technological breakthrough in the rail industry is telematics which allows shippers railroads and other stakeholders to view the condition and status of a traincar through realtime tracking These capabilities give railcar owners and crews better control and visibility They can also help them improve efficiency prevent unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays in the delivery of freight to customers