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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 rail improvement strategies. FRA inspectors on the ground employ discretion to decide which cases merit the time-consuming and precise civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that the violations most deserving of punishment are punished. SMART-TD members and allies made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to keep two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight is not over. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a range of safety measures in place to protect the health and safety of employees as well as the general public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing rail safety regulations. It also oversees rail funding, and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technology. It also formulates plans, implements and maintains an action plan to maintain current rail services and infrastructure. It also develops and improves the national rail network. The department demands that all rail employers adhere to strict guidelines and empower their employees, and provide them with tools to be safe and successful. This includes participating in the secure close call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational health and safety committees, with full union participation and protection against retaliation and providing employees with needed personal protective equipment. FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of railway safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Those who violate the rail safety laws could be punished with civil penalties. The agency's safety inspectors have broad discretion over whether a particular violation meets the legal definition of a civil penalty-worthy act. Additionally, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division reviews all reports that are received by regional offices to determine legality before determining penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the field and regional levels helps ensure that the exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is utilized only in situations that are truly deserving of the impact of a civil penalty. A rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his actions and knowingly disregard those standards to be guilty of a civil penalty-worthy offence. The agency does not believe that a person who acts in response to a supervisor's direction has committed a willful offense. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the whole network that carries goods and passengers between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad at a steel mill is not considered to be part of the general transportation system that trains even being physically connected to it. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations including those related to safety and the transportation of hazardous substances. The agency also manages financing for rail including loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's rail system. This includes maintaining 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 mostly responsible for freight transportation but also oversees passenger transport. The agency is working to offer more options for passenger travel and connect people to the places they want to go. The agency's primary focus is on enhancing the experience for passengers as well as enhancing the safety of its existing fleet, and ensuring that the rail network continues operating efficiently. Railroads are required to comply with a range of federal regulations, including those that deal with the size and composition of train crews. This is a controversial one in recent years, with a few states passing legislation to require two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies 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 each railroad that has one-person train crews to inform FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will allow FRA to evaluate the characteristics of each operation to the standard two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the review standard of an approval request that is a special case to determine if an operation is “consistent” with railroad safety to determining if the operation is as secure or safer than two-person crew operation. During the period of public comment for this rule, a large number of people voted for a requirement of a two person crew. A letter written by 29 people expressed their concern that a single crew member would not be as quick to respond to issues with trains or grade crossing incidents or assist emergency response personnel at a highway rail grade crossing. Commenters noted that human factors are the reason for more than half of all railroad accidents. They believe that a larger team could ensure the security of the train as well as its cargo. Technology Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ numerous technologies to increase efficiency, improve security, increase safety and much more. Rail industry jargon comprises various distinct terms and acronyms. Some of the most notable include machine vision systems (also known as drones) and rail-inspection systems that are instrumented driverless trains rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicle (also called drones). Technology isn't just replacing some jobs; it's helping people to perform their jobs more effectively and safely. 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 reality. As part of its ongoing effort to advance safe, reliable, and affordable transportation options for the country 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 is a multi-billion-dollar initiative that will see bridges and tunnels restored, tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations rebuilt or replaced. FRA's recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will significantly grow the agency's rail improvement programs. The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key component in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging, maintaining communications with inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. But it must focus more on how its research contributes to the department's primary strategic goal of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people by rail. fela lawyers could enhance its effectiveness by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR), the primary industry association for the freight rail industry, which is focused on research, policy and standard setting and has established an Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping establish standards for the industry. FRA is likely to be interested in the group's creation of an automated rail taxonomy, which is a standardization system that can 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 need to know the level of risk to safety that the industry sees with implementing fully automated operation and whether the industry is considering additional security measures to reduce the risk. Innovation Rail companies are embracing technology to increase worker safety, increase efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the cargo they transport reaches its destination in good condition. Examples of this technological advancement include the use of sensors and cameras to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies enable railroads to dispatch emergency responders directly to the scene of an accident 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 will keep train-to-train accidents out of the way, as well as situations where trains are on track they shouldn't, and other incidents caused by human error. The system is a three-part process consisting of onboard locomotive systems that track the train and wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a massive backend server that collects and analyzes data. Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to improve security and safety. Amtrak, for example, is experimenting with drones to help train security personnel locate passengers and other items in an emergency. The company is also exploring ways to utilize drones. They could be used to inspect bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb. Other technologies that could be utilized for railways for passengers include smart track technology, which can detect the presence of objects or people on the tracks and send a warning to drivers if it's unsafe to travel. These technologies are particularly useful for detecting unauthorized crossings or other issues during the evenings, when traffic is low and there are less witnesses to an accident. Telematics is another important technological advance in the rail industry. It allows shippers, railways and other stakeholders to track a traincar in real-time. Traincar crews and operators can benefit from increased accountability and transparency which can help them increase efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays when delivering freight.