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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 make use of discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty procedure. This helps ensure that the most serious violations 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 locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight continues. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to ensure the safety and health of employees as well as the general public. It formulates and enforces rail safety regulations and oversees the funding for rail. It also researches strategies for improving rail and technologies. It also creates and implements a plan to ensure the current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically expands and improves the national rail network. The department expects all rail companies to adhere to the strictest rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with the tools needed to be successful and safe. 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 forefront of enforcing safety on rail laws and regulations. fela settlements conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct a multitude of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Anyone who is in violation of rail safety laws may be subject to civil penalties. Safety inspectors from the agency have wide decision-making power to determine if violations fall within the legal definition of an act that is punishable with civil penalties. In addition, the Office of Chief Counsel's security division reviews all reports that are received from regional offices to determine their legality prior to assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the field and regional levels helps ensure that the lengthy, time-consuming civil penalty process is applied only in situations that truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil fine. A rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern their actions and knowingly disregard those rules to commit a civil penalty-worthy offense. The agency does not believe an individual who acted on a supervisor's directive has committed a willful offence. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the entire network that transports passengers and goods between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad at the steel mill isn't considered to be part of the general transportation system that trains even although it is physically connected to it. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, ranging from those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency also oversees rail financing, including grants and loans for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies to improve the nation's rail infrastructure. This includes maintaining current rail services and infrastructure, making sure that there is enough capacity strategically expanding the network, and coordinating regional and national systems planning and development. While most of the agency's work focuses on freight transportation, it also oversees passenger transportation. The agency is working to provide more options for passengers and connect passengers with the places they'd like to travel to. The agency is focused on enhancing the passenger experience and improving the safety of the current fleet, and making sure that the railway system continues to function efficiently. Railroads are required to abide with a range of federal regulations, including the ones pertaining to the size and composition of crews on trains. This is controversial in recent years, with several states passing legislation to require two-person crews on trains. This final rule outlines the minimum requirements for crew size at a federal level, ensuring that all railroads are subject to the same safety standards. This rule also requires that every railroad operating a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will allow FRA to better identify the specific parameters of each operation and compare them to the standard two-person crew operation. In addition, this rule changes the review standard for a special approval petition from determining whether the operation is “consistent with railroad safety” to determining whether approving the operation would be as secure or as safe as a two-crewmember operation. During the public comment period on this rule, a large number of people supported a two-person crew requirement. In a formal letter, 29 people expressed their concerns that a single crew member will not be able to respond with the speed required to respond to train accidents or malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency response personnel on a highway-rail level crossing. Commenters noted that human factors are the reason for a majority of railroad accidents. They believe that a larger team could ensure the safety of the train and its cargo. Technology Freight and passenger rails employ a variety of technologies to improve efficiency, increase security, and improve safety. Rail industry jargon comprises a variety of unique terms and acronyms. Some of the most notable include machine vision systems (also known as drones), instrumented rail-inspection systems driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicle (also known as drones). Technology isn't just replacing certain jobs — it's empowering people to perform their jobs better and safer. Passenger railroads are using smartphone apps and contactless fare payment cards in order to boost ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations like autonomous rail cars are coming closer to reality. As part of its ongoing effort to improve secure, reliable and affordable transportation options for the country, the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar project will see tunnels, bridges, tracks and power systems updated, and stations renovated or replaced. The FRA's rail improvements program will be greatly increased by the recently approved bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a key component of this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it was successful in keeping in touch using inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. But it must be more focused on how its research aids in the department's main strategic goal of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people by rail. One area where the agency may be able improve its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the development of 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 assist in helping establish standards for the industry. The FRA is interested in the group's development of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles, a system that defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This would apply to rail transit as well as vehicles on the road. The agency will want to know the level of risk the industry perceives with fully automated operation, as well as whether the industry is considering any additional measures to mitigate the risk. Innovation Rail companies are adopting technology to increase worker safety, increase efficiency in business processes and ensure that the cargo they transport reaches its destination in good condition. These innovations vary from cameras and sensors that monitor freight to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies provide a way for railroads to send emergency responders to areas of accidents so that they can swiftly mitigate risks to property and lives. Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most significant innovations in rail. It will stop train-to-train accidents, instances where trains are on track they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human error. It is a three-part process consisting of onboard locomotive systems that track the train and wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive, and an enormous backend server that analyzes and collects data. Trains for passengers are also adopting technology to enhance security and safety. Amtrak is one example. It is experimenting with the use of drones to assist train security personnel locate passengers and other items in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also investigating other possibilities to utilize drones, including deploying them to perform inspections of bridges and other infrastructure, like replacing the lighting on railway towers, which could be dangerous for workers to climb. Smart track technology is a different technology that can be used in railways for passengers. It is able to detect people or objects on tracks and alert drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are particularly effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other issues during the evenings when the traffic is lower and there are fewer witnesses to an accident. Telematics is another important technological breakthrough in the rail industry. It lets railways, shippers, and other stakeholders, to track a traincar in real-time. These capabilities provide railcar operators and their crews more accountability and visibility and can help them improve efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays in the delivery of freight to customers.