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The federal employers’ liability act Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail, provides rail funding and conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure.

FRA inspectors on the ground employ discretion to determine which cases merit the lengthy and precise civil penalty procedure. This discretion helps to ensure that the most serious violations are penalized.

SMART-TD and its allies made history by 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two people should be allowed to sit in the locomotive cabs of freight trains. The fight is not over.

Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to protect the health and welfare of employees as well as the general public. It is responsible for establishing and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also oversees the funding for rail and conducts research on improvements to rail strategies and technological developments. It also creates plans, implements and maintains a plan for maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services. It also expands and improves strategically the rail network across the nation. The department expects all railroad employers to adhere to the strictest rules and regulations, empower their employees and provide them with tools needed to be successful and secure. This includes taking part in 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 forefront of enforcing rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct hundreds of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Anyone who violates the rail safety laws could be punished with civil penalties. The agency's safety inspectors have a broad discretion on whether an individual violation is in line with the statutory description of a crime that is punishable by civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel's 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 exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is utilized only in cases that are truly deserving of the effect of a civil penalty.

A rail worker must be aware of rules and regulations that govern their actions, and not knowingly violate those guidelines to commit a civil penalty-worthy offense. However the agency doesn't consider anyone who follows a directive by a supervisor as having committed a willful violation. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire system that carries goods and passengers between cities and metropolitan areas. The trackage of a plant railroad within a steelmill is not considered to be part of the overall rail transportation system, despite the fact that it is physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, including those pertaining to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency also oversees rail financing which includes loans and grants for infrastructure and improvements to service. The agency works with other DOT agencies as well as industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's rail system. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services as well as making sure that there is enough capacity, strategically expanding the network, as well as coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.

The agency is primarily responsible for freight transportation, but also supervises passenger transportation. The agency is working to offer more options for passengers and connect people with the places they want to travel to. The agency's focus is on improving the experience of passengers, enhancing safety of the existing fleet and ensuring the rail system continues to operate efficiently.

Railroads must abide by a variety of federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of the crews on trains. This issue has become a controversial one in recent years, with a few states enacting legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. The final rule codifies 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 identify the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with the parameters of a typical two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the criteria for reviewing an approval request that is a special case to determine if an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety to determining if the operation is safer or safer than two-person crew operation.

During the public comment period for this rule, many people backed the 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. The commenters pointed out that human factors are responsible for more than half railroad accidents, and they believe that a larger crew could help ensure the safety of both the train and its cargo.

Technology

Railroads that transport passengers and freight employ numerous technologies to enhance efficiency, improve safety, boost security and much more. The language used in the rail industry contains a myriad of distinct terms and acronyms but some of the more notable innovations include machines-vision systems, instrumented rail inspection systems, driverless trains rolling data centers and drones that are not piloted (commonly known as drones).

Technology isn't only able to replace certain jobs. It helps people do their jobs better and safer. Railroads for passengers use apps on smartphones and contactless fare cards in order to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of their system. Other innovations like autonomous rail cars are moving closer to becoming reality.

The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote safe reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in the United States is focusing on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollar initiative that will see tunnels and bridges restored as well as tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations reconstructed or replaced. FRA's recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will substantially expand the agency's rail improvements programs.

The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a central element in this effort. The most recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging, maintaining communication and using inputs from a variety of stakeholders. It must continue to be aware of how its research contributes towards the department's primary objective of ensuring the safety of people and goods by railways.

The agency could improve its efficiency by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads, the freight rail industry's primary industry organization that focuses on research, policy, and standard-setting the Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help develop industry standards for implementing the technology.

FRA will be interested in the creation of an automated rail taxonomy. It is a standard that will clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that will be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will want to know the degree of risk the industry is assessing with fully automated operation, as well as whether the industry is considering any additional safeguards to minimize that risk.

Innovation

Railroads are embracing technology to increase worker safety, make business processes more efficient and ensure that the cargo it transports arrives at its destination in good condition. Examples of this kind of technological advancement include the use of sensors and cameras to track freight, to the latest railcar designs that keep dangerous cargo safe during transit. Certain of these technologies allow railroads to send emergency response personnel to the scene of an accident so they can swiftly reduce damage and minimize risk to property and lives.

Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most important innovations in rail. It will stop train-to-train accidents, instances when trains are in a position they shouldn't be, and other accidents caused by human error. This system is made up of three parts consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive; and a massive server that collects and analyses data.

Trains for passengers are also adopting technology to enhance safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to assist security personnel in locating passengers and items on board trains in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to make use of drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructure, or to replace the lighting on railway towers, which are dangerous for workers to climb.

Smart track technology is another technology that can be utilized in railways for passengers. It can detect people or objects on tracks and alert drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These types of technology are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized as well as other issues that can arise in the off-hours, when traffic volumes are lowest and there are fewer people around to witness an accident.

Telematics is a significant technological advancement in the rail industry. It allows shippers, railways and other stakeholders, to follow a traincar's progress in real-time. Such capabilities give railcar operators and crews better accountability and visibility and can assist them in improving efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in the delivery of freight to customers.