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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology

The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations, provides rail funding and researches rail improvement strategies.

FRA field inspectors make use of discretion to decide on which cases are worthy of the precise and time consuming civil penalty process. This discretion helps to ensure that the most serious violations are penalized.

SMART-TD members and allies made history in 2024 when they began 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 number of safety measures to protect the health of its employees and public. It creates and enforces rail safety regulations, administers rail funding and researches strategies for improving rail and new technologies. It also formulates and implements a plan to ensure that current infrastructure, services, and capacity, and strategically develops and improves the nation's rail network. The department demands that all rail operators adhere to strict regulations and empower their employees, and provide them with tools to be safe and successful. This includes the confidential close-call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational safety and health committees, with full union participation and federal Employers’ Liability antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the needed personal protective gear.

FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and investigate complaints from hundreds of people. Civil penalties are imposed on those who violate the rail safety laws. Safety inspectors from the agency have a wide discretion to determine if a violation falls under the definition provided by law of an act punishable with civil penalties. In addition, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety department reviews all reports that are received by regional offices to determine legal sufficiency before assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at the regional and field levels helps ensure that the lengthy, time-consuming civil penalty process is used only in situations which truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty.

A rail employee must be aware of rules and regulations that govern their actions and be aware of the rules to commit a civil penalty-worthy offense. However the agency doesn't consider any individual who acts under a directive by a supervisor as having committed an intentional violation. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the entire system that transports passengers and goods within and between cities and metropolitan areas. The trackage of a plant railroad in a steelmill is not considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, despite the fact that it's physically connected.

Regulation

The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible to establish regulations for train operations including those related to safety and the transportation of dangerous substances. The agency also manages rail financing including loans and grants for infrastructure and improvements to service. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's railroad system. This work includes maintaining current rail services and infrastructure, making sure that there is enough capacity and strategically expanding the network and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development.

Although the majority of the agency's work focuses on freight transportation, it also handles passenger transportation. The agency is trying to connect people to destinations they desire and offer more choices for travel. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience as well as improving the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring that the rail network is operating efficiently.

Railroads must abide by a variety of federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of the crews on trains. In recent years this issue has become a source of controversy. Some states have passed legislation requiring two-person crews on trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum size of crew requirements, making sure that all railroads follow the same safety standards.

This rule also requires each railroad operating a single-person train crew to inform FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will allow FRA to better understand the specifics of each operation and compare them with the standard two-person crew operation. This rule also changes the review standard of an application for special approval from determining if an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is safer or less risky than a two-person crew operations.

During the public comment period for this rule, a lot of people supported the requirement for a two-person crew. A letter written by 29 people outlined their concerns that a single crew member would not be as quick to respond to train-related malfunctions or crossing incidents or assist emergency response personnel at a highway rail grade crossing. The commenters emphasized that human factors are responsible for more than half of railroad accidents and believe that a larger crew would help ensure the safety of the train and the cargo it transports.

Technology

Railroads for passenger and freight use numerous technologies to increase efficiency, improve security, increase safety and more. Rail industry jargon covers a variety of distinct terms and acronyms. Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems (also called drones) and rail-inspection systems that are instrumented, driverless train, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicle (also called drones).

Technology isn't merely replacing jobs; it's helping people to do their job better and safer. Passenger railroads use smartphones apps and contactless fare cards in order to increase passengership and boost the efficiency of their system. Other developments like autonomous rail cars are getting closer to becoming reality.

As part of its ongoing efforts to advance safe, reliable and affordable transportation for the entire nation, the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This multi-billion dollar project will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems, and tracks upgraded and stations rebuilt or replace. The FRA's rail improvements program will be greatly extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key element in this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office found that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communications with and using inputs from a broad range of stakeholders. It is still required to focus on how its research contributes towards the department's primary goal of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people by rail.

One area where the agency may be able to increase its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the advancement of automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the freight rail industry's primary association that focuses on research, policy, and standard setting and has created a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to assist in the development of industry standards for implementing the technology.

FRA will be interested in the group's creation of an automated rail taxonomy, which is a standard that will clearly and consistently define different levels of automation that will be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will also want to know the level of risk to safety that the industry sees when implementing a fully automated system and whether the industry is contemplating additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.

Innovation

Railroads are using technology to boost worker safety, make business processes more efficient and help ensure that the freight they move reaches its destination intact. These innovations vary from cameras and sensors that monitor freight to innovative railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies provide a way for railroads to send emergency responders to the scene of an accident so they can swiftly reduce damage and reduce the risk to property and lives.

One of the most well-known innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC), which will inhibit collisions between trains and train, situations where trains are on tracks they shouldn't be and other accidents that result from human mistakes. 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 gathers and analyzes data.

Railroads that transport passengers are also embracing technology to enhance security and safety. Amtrak, for example, is experimenting with the use of drones to help train security personnel locate passengers and items in the event of an emergency. The company is also examining ways to use 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.

Smart track technology is another technology that is used in railways that transport passengers. It can detect people or objects on tracks and warn drivers if it is unsafe to continue. These kinds of technology are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized and other issues during times when traffic levels are lower and fewer people are around to witness an accident.

Telematics is yet another significant technological advance in the rail industry. It allows railways, shippers and other parties to monitor a traincar in real-time. These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews better accountability and visibility and can help them improve efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays in the delivery of freight to customers.