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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail It also provides rail funding and conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure. FRA inspectors on the ground make use of discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the lengthy and precise civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that those violations most deserving of punishment are punished. Members of SMART-TD and their allies made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to keep two people in the cabs of locomotives of freight trains. The fight is not over. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration implements a variety of safety measures to ensure the health of employees as well as the public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also manages rail funding, and conducts research on rail improvement strategies and technology. It also creates and implements a strategy to ensure the current infrastructure, services, and capacity, and strategically expands and improves the national rail network. The department requires that all rail operators adhere to strict rules, empower their employees and provide them with the tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes participation in the secure close call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational health and safety committees with full participation from unions and anti-retaliation protections and providing employees with the necessary personal safety equipment. FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of railway safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties are handed out to those who violate railroad safety laws. The safety inspectors of the agency have a broad discretion on whether an individual violation is in line with the statutory definition of a civil penalty-worthy act. In addition, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division examines all reports submitted by regional offices for legal sufficiency before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the regional and field levels helps ensure that the time-consuming, costly civil penalty process is utilized only in cases that truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty. To be guilty of a civil offense, a rail employee must know the rules and regulations governing their actions. They also must be aware that they ignore these rules. However the agency does not consider anyone who is acting under a direction by a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the entire network that carries goods and passengers between metropolitan areas and cities. The trackage of a plant railroad in the steelmill isn't considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, despite the fact that it is physically connected. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing regulations for trains that pertain to safety and the movement of dangerous substances. The agency also oversees rail financing including loans and grants for infrastructure and improvements to service. fela settlements with other DOT agencies as well as industry to devise strategies for improving the nation's rail system. This includes ensuring the existing rail infrastructure and services, responding to the demands for new capacity and expanding the network strategically, and coordinating the regional and national system's planning and development. While the majority of the agency's activities are focused on freight transportation, it also oversees passenger transportation. The agency is trying to connect people to the places they'd like to visit and offer more alternatives for travel. The agency is focused on improving the experience for passengers, enhancing the safety of the existing fleet, and making sure that the rail network is operating efficiently. Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, relating to the size of crews on trains. In recent times the issue has been a source of contention. Certain states have passed legislation mandating two-person crews on trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum crew size requirements, ensuring that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards. This rule also requires that every railroad that has a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will allow FRA to better identify the specifics of each operation and compare them with the normal two-person crew operation. Additionally this rule will change the review standard for the special approval petition from to determining whether an operation is “consistent with railroad safety” to determining whether the operation is secure or as safe as a two-crewmember operation. During the period of public comment on this rule, a lot of people expressed their support for a requirement for two persons on the crew. In a formal letter 29 people expressed their concerns that a single member of the crew will not be capable of responding as quickly to train accidents or malfunctions at grade crossings, or assist emergency response personnel on an elevated highway crossing. Commenters pointed out that human factors are responsible for more than half all railroad accidents. They believe that a larger team would ensure the safety of the train as well as its cargo. Technology Railroads for passenger and freight use various technologies to increase efficiency, increase safety, boost security and more. Rail industry jargon includes a variety of specific terms and acronyms. Some of the most notable include machine vision systems (also called drones) instruments for rail-inspection systems driverless trains rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicle (also called drones). Technology doesn't just replace some jobs. It helps people perform their jobs better and with greater security. Passenger railroads are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and make the system more efficient. Other innovations like autonomous rail cars are getting closer to reality. As part of its ongoing efforts to advance 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 tunnels and bridges rebuilt, tracks and power systems upgraded and stations rebuilt or replaced. The FRA's 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 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 variety of stakeholders. But it must be more focused on how its research helps the department achieve its primary strategic goal of ensuring safe movement of people and goods via railway. The agency could improve its effectiveness by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the principal industry association for the freight rail industry that focuses on research, policy and standard setting and has established the Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations in order to help develop standards within the industry. The FRA is interested in the group's development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This would apply to both rail transit and on-road vehicles. The agency will also need to understand the level of risk to safety that the industry perceives associated with implementing fully automated operation and whether the industry is considering additional protections to minimize 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 such innovation vary from the use cameras and sensors to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo secure during transit. Certain of these technologies offer railroads the ability to dispatch emergency personnel to locations of accidents so they can swiftly mitigate damage and reduce the risk to people and property. One of the most renowned innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC) which will prevent collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks where they shouldn't be, as well as other accidents resulting from human mistakes. 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 gathers and analyzes data. Railroads that transport passengers also use technology to enhance security and safety. Amtrak, for example, is experimenting with drones to assist security personnel on trains locate passengers and other items in an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to utilize drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb. Other technologies that could be utilized for railways for passengers include smart track technology, which is able to detect the presence of people or objects on the tracks and issue drivers with a warning if it's unsafe to travel. These types of technologies can be particularly beneficial in detecting unsafe crossings and other problems in the off-hours, when traffic volumes are lowest and fewer people are around to witness an accident. Another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry is telematics which enables railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to monitor the condition and status of a traincar by real-time tracking. Crews and railcar operators will benefit from increased accountability and transparency which can help them to increase efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays when delivering freight.