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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations The Federal Railroad Administration also provides funding for rail and conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure. FRA inspectors on the ground employ discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty procedure. This discretion helps ensure that those violations most deserving of punishment are punished. SMART-TD and its allies made history by 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two people should be allowed in the cabs of freight locomotives. trains. The fight continues. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a range of safety measures in place to ensure the health and safety of employees as well as the general public. It formulates and enforces safety regulations for rail and oversees the funding for rail. It also studies strategies for improving rail infrastructure and technologies. It also develops, implements and maintains a plan for maintaining current rail services and infrastructure. It also expands and improves strategically the rail network across the nation. The department requires all rail employers to adhere to the strictest rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with tools to succeed and stay secure. This includes participating in an anonymous close-call reporting system, creating labor-management occupational safety and health committees with full participation from unions and anti-retaliation clauses and providing employees with the required personal protective equipment. Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties can be imposed on those who violate railroad safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have a broad decision-making power to determine if a violation falls under the legal definition of an act punishable with civil penalties. The Office of Chief Counsel’s safety division also scrutinizes the 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 used when they are necessary. To be convicted of a civil violation the employee of a rail company must know the rules and regulations governing his or her actions. They must also knowingly disregard these standards. The agency does not believe that a person who acts in response to a supervisor's direction has committed a willful offence. The agency defines the “general railroad system of transportation” as the entire system over which goods and passengers travel within metropolitan and city areas, or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in a steel mill is not considered to be part of the general transportation system by rail, even though it is physically connected to it. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing train regulations that pertain to safety and the movement of dangerous substances. The agency also oversees rail financing including loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies to improve the nation's railway system. This work includes maintaining current rail infrastructure and services and addressing the need for new capacity, strategically expanding the network, and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development. fela case settlements is responsible for freight transportation but also manages passenger transportation. The agency is working to connect people to destinations they desire and offer more alternatives for travel. The agency's primary focus is on improving the passenger's experience and enhancing the safety of the current fleet, and making sure that the rail network is operating efficiently. Railroads are required to abide with a variety of federal regulations, which include those that deal with the size and composition of crews on trains. This issue has become controversial in recent years, with some states passing legislation to require two-person crews on trains. This final rule establishes federally the minimum size of crew requirements, ensuring that all railroads follow the same safety standards. This also requires every railroad that operates one-person train crews to inform FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will allow FRA to better understand the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with those of a standard two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the criteria for reviewing an application for special approval to determine if an operation is “consistent” with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is as safe or less risky than a two-person crew operation. During the period of public comments for this rule, a lot of people voiced their support for a requirement for two people on the crew. In a letter to the editor 29 people expressed their concern that a single member of the crew is not able to respond as quickly to incidents or train malfunctions at grade crossings or assist emergency response personnel at an elevated highway crossing. The commenters emphasized that human factors are responsible for more than half of all railroad accidents and think that a bigger crew would help ensure the safety of both the train and the cargo it transports. Technology Trains for passenger and freight use a variety of technologies to improve efficiency, increase security, and improve safety. The rail industry lingo includes many specific terms and acronyms, however, some of the most significant developments include machine vision systems, instrumented rail inspection systems, driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly known as drones). Technology isn't just replacing certain jobs — it's empowering individuals to perform their work more effectively and safely. Railroads that transport passengers are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations like autonomous rail cars are moving closer to becoming reality. As part of its ongoing effort to ensure safe, reliable and affordable transportation for the nation In its ongoing effort to ensure safe, reliable and affordable transportation for the nation, the Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollars effort that will see bridges and tunnels restored, tracks and power systems upgraded and stations rebuilt or replaced. FRA's recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure law will significantly expand the agency's rail improvements programs. The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a major component of this initiative. Recent National Academies review of the office found it excelled at engaging in a continuous dialogue and utilizing the inputs of a wide range of stakeholders. But it still needs to focus more on how its research contributes to the department's primary objective of ensuring the safe movement of goods and people via railway. The agency could enhance its efficiency by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail business organization that is focused on research, policy, and standardization, has established a Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help develop industry standards for the implementation of the technology. FRA will be interested in the creation of an automated rail taxonomy, which is a standard that will clearly and consistently define different levels of automation that could be applicable to both rail and on-road transit vehicles. The agency will also need to know the degree of risk to safety that the industry sees when implementing a fully automated system and whether the industry is considering additional security measures to reduce the risk. Innovation Railroads are embracing technology to improve worker safety, make business processes more efficient and ensure that the cargo that they transport arrives at its destination safely. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight to innovative railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transportation. Certain of these technologies provide a way for railroads to send emergency responders to the scene of an accident so they can swiftly reduce risks to people and property. Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most important innovations in rail. It will prevent train-to-train accidents, situations where trains are on track they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human error. The system is a three-part system comprised of onboard locomotive systems that track the train and wayside networks that connect with the locomotive and a massive backend server that collects and analyzes data. Railroads that transport passengers also use technology to increase security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to assist passenger security personnel in locating passengers and other items onboard trains in the event of an emergency. Amtrak is also looking into ways to use drones. They could be used to examine bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lights on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb. Smart track technology is a different technology that is used in railways for passengers. It can detect people or objects on tracks and alert motorists that it is not safe to continue. These kinds of technologies can be particularly beneficial in detecting unsafe crossings as well as other issues that can arise during off-hours, when traffic levels are lower and there are fewer people around to witness an accident. Telematics is another important technological advance in the railway industry. It allows railways, shippers and other stakeholders, to track a traincar in real-time. These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews greater accountability and transparency and help them improve efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays in the delivery of freight to customers.