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The Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is one of the DOT's 10 agencies involved in intermodal transportation. Its mission is to enable the safe and secure movement of people and goods.
FRA field inspectors inspect the railroad track, train control and signal systems, as well as operating practices. They also investigate complaints.
Definition
A federal railroad is a type of rail transport in the United States that is controlled by the federal government. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, formulates and enforces regulations for railways and regulates funds for railroads, and conducts research to improve the efficiency of rail transportation. The FRA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's intermodal transportation division, and its top executives are the Administrator and the Deputy Administrator.
The agency is responsible for all passenger and freight transport that utilizes the railway system of the United States. The agency also consolidates the federal funding for rail transportation, and helps with the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor passenger service. Moreover, the agency regulates the ownership and operation of all intermodal infrastructures such as tracks, rights-of-way, equipment and real property as well as rolling stock, and also provides the overall coordination of federal rail transportation programs.
FRA's responsibilities also include establishing through regulation, and after an opportunity for comment the procedure through which anyone can report to the Secretary Homeland Security any railroad security problems or deficiencies. Additionally, the FRA sets up policies and conducts inspections in order to evaluate the compliance with its rail safety laws in six technical disciplines: track signals and train control, motive power and machinery operating practices, hazmat, and highway-rail grade crossings.
The agency is tasked with the responsibility to make sure the rail transportation system is safe, economical and environmentally sustainable. The agency also demands that railroads maintain a safe work environment and provide adequate training for their employees. In addition, the agency sets and enforces railroad rates to ensure that the public gets a fair rate for their transportation services.
Additionally to that, the Federal Railroad Administration enacts and enforces regulations to prevent discrimination against railroad employees, and protect whistleblowers from being retaliated against by railroad companies. The agency also establishes procedures for railroad employees can file complaints about the actions of the company.
The primary goal of the FRA is to ensure the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of goods and people for a strong America both now and in the future. The FRA accomplishes this by regulating railroad safety, managing railroad assistance programs, conducting research to support improved railroad safety and national rail transportation policies as well as coordinating and assisting with the development of rail networks, and helping the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads were large monopolies, with no competition. This meant that the industry often abused its position in the marketplace. Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission, as well as other regulatory agencies, to curb the monopolies' exploitation of railroads.
Purpose
Federal railroads are federal agencies that establish regulations, manage rail funds and conduct research to improve the rail system in the United America. It is responsible for the rail infrastructure of the United States and manages freight and passenger railroads. It is one of ten agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding current rail systems.
Security is the primary responsibility in rail transportation. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is responsible for this, and it has several divisions responsible for overseeing the country's freight and passenger railroad operations. The largest of them is the Office of Railroad Safety, with around 350 safety inspectors and is responsible for conducting inspections to determine compliance with regulations in six technical disciplines that include track, signal and train control, motive power and equipment, operating procedures, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.
FRA has other departments, including the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. It oversees programs that aim to improve passenger and freight railway transportation, including the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for granting grants given to railways, and collaborates with other agencies to determine the nation's rail requirements.
The FRA also has a responsibility to enforce federal laws pertaining to railroads and their workers. This includes preventing railroads from discriminating against workers, and making sure that all railway employees injured are transported to the nearest hospital for initial aid treatment. Additionally, railroads are prohibited from refusing or delaying medical treatment for injured railway workers.
The FRA is the primary regulator of the freight and passenger rail industries, but there are other organizations that manage the economic aspects of rail transport. Surface Transportation Board is responsible for establishing rates and managing economics in the sector. It has regulatory authority over mergers in the railroad industry, line sales, construction and abandonment. After the public consultation period, the agency is also accountable for establishing regulations that permit anyone to report any alleged rail safety violations.
Functions
Railroads transport people and goods between cities in developed nations as also remote villages in countries that are less developed. They transport raw materials to manufacturing and processing factories, and the finished products from those factories to warehouses and stores. fela lawsuits is an essential mode of transportation for a number of essential commodities, including grains, oil, and coal. In 2020, freight railroads transported more than a quarter of all freight volumes in the United America [PDF].
Federal railroads operate just like any other company with departments for marketing and operations, sales, and an executive department. The department for marketing and sales works with potential and existing customers as well as clients to determine what services they require and what they will cost. The operations department then creates rail services that meet these needs at the cheapest cost to earn money for railroad. The executive department oversees the entire operation and makes sure that every department is operating efficiently.
The government helps the railways with a variety means such as grants and subsidised rates for government traffic. Congress also provides funds to support and build new stations and tracks. These subsidies are often a part of the money that railroads earn through ticket sales and freight contracts.
Amtrak is owned by the United States government. It is a quasi-public for profit corporation with a large stockholder that is the United States government.
A key function of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is developing and enforcing safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical conditions of trains as well as the health and safety of railroad employees. FRA also collects and analyzes data on rail safety in order to identify trends and areas that require more or better regulation.
FRA also participates in other projects that improve the economy and safety of railway transportation in the United States. For instance, FRA is working to eliminate obstacles that hinder railroads in implementing positive train control (PTC). PTC is a security technology that uses sensors and computers on board to stop a train in the event that it is too close to an vehicle or object.
History
The nation's first railroads were constructed in the 1820s and 1830s largely in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. Railroads helped speed up industrialization and brought more food to market in these areas. This allowed the country to become more independent and less dependent on imports from abroad, which helped to foster a strong economic base.
In the latter part of the 19th century, the railroad industry enjoyed an "Golden Age" during which new, more efficient raillines were built and passenger travel became popular. The government's efforts to expand the railroad system were an important reason. For instance the government offered homesteaders land grants to encourage them to settle in the West, and the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads collaborated to build the first transcontinental railroad which made it possible to travel from New York to San Francisco in just six days.
However in the early part of the 20th century, demand for railroad passenger services slowed and other modes of transport like automobiles and planes gained in popularity, while regulations hampered railroads in their ability to compete economically. A series of bankruptcies, delays in maintenance and service cuts was the next step. Misguided federal rail regulations also contributed to the decline.
In the year 1970, the federal authorities began to ease the regulations governing railroads. The Surface Transportation Board was established to oversee the economic aspects of the industry such as railroad rates and mergers. The Federal Railroad Administration was also established to set rail safety regulations and is among the 10 agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation which oversees passenger and freight transportation.
Since then, the infrastructure of the railroads of the United America has seen a great deal of investment. The Northeast Corridor has been rebuilt for instance, to allow for faster and more modern high-speed ground transportation (HSGT). There have also been efforts to create more efficient freight rail. In the future, FRA hopes to continue its relationship with all transportation agencies to ensure safe and reliable railroads. It is the responsibility of FRA to help make sure that the transportation system of the United States is as efficient as it can be.