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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for safety regulations for rail and enforcement, rail funding, and research on rail improvement strategies. FRA field inspectors use discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the precise and time consuming civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that the violations most deserving of punishment are penalized. Members of SMART-TD and their allies 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 continues. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a range of safety measures in place to safeguard the safety and health of employees as well as the general public. It develops and enforces safety regulations for rail, administers rail funding and researches strategies for improving rail and technology. It also formulates and implements a strategy to maintain current rail services, infrastructure and capacity and strategically expands and improves the nation's rail network. The department expects all rail companies to adhere to the strictest rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with tools to be successful and safe. This includes the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees, with full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the needed personal protective equipment. Inspectors of the FRA are at the leading edge of enforcing rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct hundreds of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties are applied to those who break rail safety laws. The agency's safety inspectors are able to decide on the extent to which an incident falls within the legal definition of a civil penalty-worthy act. The Office of Chief Counsel's safety division also scrutinizes all reports that regional offices submit to determine if they are legal prior to imposing 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 the employee of a rail company must know the rules and regulations that govern the conduct of his or her employees. They must also be aware of and not adhere to these rules. However the agency does not take any person who follows a directive from a supervisor to have committed an intentional violation. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the whole network that carries goods and passengers within and between cities and metropolitan areas. The trackage of a plant railroad at the steel mill isn't considered to be part of the general transportation system that trains even though it is physically connected to it. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, ranging from those related to safety and movement of hazardous materials. railroad injury fela lawyer manages financing for rail, including grants and loans for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency works with other DOT agencies as well as industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's rail system. This includes maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the needs for capacity expansion, expanding the network strategically, as well as coordinating the national and regional system development and planning. The agency is 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'd like to travel to. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience and enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring the railway system continues to function efficiently. Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, relating to the size of the crews on trains. In recent times, this issue has become a source of controversy. Some states have passed legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule outlines the minimum crew size requirements at an international level, and ensures that all railroads are held to the same safety standards. This law also requires that each railroad operating a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will allow FRA to better understand the specifics of each operation and compare them to the normal two-person crew operation. This rule also changes the criteria for reviewing a special approval request from determining whether an operation is “consistent” with railroad safety to determining if the operation is as secure or safer than two-person crew operation. During the public comment period on this rule, a lot of people supported the requirement of a two-person crew. A form letter sent 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 responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. Commenters noted that human factor are responsible for more than half of all railroad accidents. They believe that a bigger crew would ensure the safety of the train and its cargo. Technology Freight and passenger railroads employ a wide array of technologies to enhance efficiency, add safety, boost security and much more. The rail industry vernacular includes many specific terms and acronyms, but some of the most notable innovations 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 about replacing certain jobs. It helps people perform their jobs better and safer. Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of their system. Other innovations like autonomous rail cars are coming closer to becoming reality. The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure secure affordable, reliable, and secure transportation in America, is focused on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollars project that will see tunnels and bridges restored, tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations rebuilt or upgraded. The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically expand the agency's rail improvements programs. The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a crucial component in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it was successful in engaging, maintaining communication using inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. It must continue to be aware of how its research contributes to the department's primary goal of ensuring safe movement of goods and people by railways. One area where the agency may be able to increase its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the development of automated train technology and systems. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail association that focuses on policy, research and standard-setting, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help develop industry standards for implementing the technology. FRA is interested in the group's development of an automated rail taxonomy. It 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 would like to know the degree of risk the industry perceives with fully automated operation, and whether the industry is considering additional safeguards to reduce that risk. Innovation Rail companies are adopting technology to improve worker safety, boost efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the cargo they transport is delivered intact. Examples of such technological advancement range from the use of cameras and sensors to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that help keep hazardous cargo secure during transit. Certain of these technologies enable railroads to send emergency responders directly to accident sites to reduce the risk and minimize damages to property and individuals. Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most significant developments in rail. It can stop train-to-train accidents, instances when trains are in a position they shouldn't be, and other accidents caused by human errors. It is a three-part system comprised of locomotives onboard that track the train and wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive, and a massive backend server that analyzes and collects data. Passenger railroads are also embracing technology to enhance security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to aid security personnel in locating passengers and other items aboard trains in case in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to use drones. They could be used to examine bridges and other infrastructure or to replace the lights on railway towers, which are dangerous for workers to climb. Other technologies that can be utilized 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 valuable for detecting unauthorized crossings and other issues in the off-hours, when traffic levels are lower and fewer people are around to witness an accident. Telematics is yet another significant technological breakthrough in the rail industry. It allows railways, shippers and other stakeholders, to track a traincar in real-time. Crews and railcar operators can benefit from greater accountability and visibility which will allow them to improve efficiency as well as avoid unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays when delivering freight.