20 Resources That'll Make You More Efficient At Federal Railroad
The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology
The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for safety regulations for rail and enforcement, rail funding and research on improving rail strategies.
FRA field inspectors use discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the precise and time-consuming civil penalty process. This ensures that the violations most deserving of punishment are penalized.
SMART-TD and its allies made history in 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be in the 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 its employees and the general public. It creates and enforces safety regulations for rail as well as manages funding for rail and researches rail improvement strategies and new technologies. It also creates plans, implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of the current infrastructure and services for rail. It also expands and improves strategically the rail network across the nation. The department requires that all rail operators adhere to strict regulations and empower their employees, and provide them with tools to be secure and productive. fela accident attorney includes participating in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees that have full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and giving employees the necessary personal protective equipment.
FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of the rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections on equipment and investigate hundreds of complaints. Those who violate the rail safety laws could be subject to civil penalties. The safety inspectors of the agency are able to decide on the extent to which an individual violation is in line with the statutory definition of a criminal penalty-worthy act. Additionally the Office of Chief Counsel's safety department reviews all reports received by regional offices for legal sufficiency before assessing penalties. This discretion is exercised both at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used when they are necessary.
To be guilty of a civil offense the employee of a rail company must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern the conduct of his or her employees. They must also be aware of and disregard these standards. The agency doesn't consider that a person who acts on a supervisor's directive is guilty of committing a willful crime. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the whole network that allows passengers and goods to travel within metropolitan areas or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad within a steelmill is not considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, even though it's physically connected.
Regulation
The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, ranging from those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. The agency is responsible for managing rail finance, including loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvement. The agency works with other DOT agencies and the industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's railroad system. This includes maintaining current rail infrastructure and services, in addition to addressing the need for additional capacity strategically expanding the network, and coordinating regional and national systems planning and development.
The agency is primarily responsible for freight transportation but also manages passenger transportation. The agency is working to provide more options for passengers and connect people with the places they want to go. The agency's primary focus is on enhancing the experience for passengers, enhancing safety of the current fleet, and making sure that the rail network continues operating efficiently.
Railroads are required to abide with a variety of federal regulations, which include those relating to the size and composition of the train crews. This issue has become controversial in recent years, with several states passing legislation to require two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies the minimum size of crew requirements at an international level, and ensures that all railroads are subject to the same safety standards.
This rule also requires each railroad that has a one-person train crew to inform FRA of the operation and submit an assessment of risk. This will allow FRA to compare the parameters of each operation to those of a two-person standard crew operation. This rule also changes the criteria for reviewing a special approval request from determining whether an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety, to determining if the operation is as safe or more secure than a two-person crew operation.
During the public comment period on this rule, a large number of people supported the requirement of a two-person crew. In a form letter, 29 people expressed their concerns that a single member of the crew is not able to respond in a timely manner to train accidents or malfunctions at grade crossings, or assist emergency response personnel on a highway-rail level crossing. The commenters pointed out that human factors account for more than half railroad accidents, and they believe that a larger team could help ensure the safety of both the train and the cargo it transports.
Technology
Freight and passenger railroads employ numerous technologies to improve efficiency, add security, increase safety and much more. The rail industry vernacular contains a myriad of distinct terms and acronyms but some of the most notable developments include machine vision systems, instrumentsed rail inspection systems, driverless trains rolling data centers and drones that are not piloted (commonly called drones).
Technology isn't only able to replace certain jobs. It allows people to perform their jobs more effectively and with greater security. Passenger railroads are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards in order to boost ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to reality.
The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable transportation in the United States, is focused on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollar effort that will see bridges and tunnels repaired as well as tracks and power systems upgraded, and stations reconstructed or replaced. The FRA's rail improvements program will be greatly increased by the recently approved bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a major element in this effort. The National Academies' recent review of the office found that it excelled in keeping in touch using inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. But it must be more focused on how its research contributes to the department's primary objective of ensuring the safe transportation of goods and people by rail.
One area where the agency might be able improve its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the advancement of automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR), the primary industry association for the freight rail industry, which is focused on research and policy, as well as standard setting created a Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to help develop standards within the industry.
FRA is likely to be interested in the development 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 on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will also need to understand the level of risk to safety that the industry sees with implementing fully automated operation and whether the industry is contemplating additional protections to minimize the risk.
Innovation
Rail companies are adopting new technologies to improve worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes and ensure that the cargo they transport arrives at its destination intact. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight, to new railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Some of these technologies allow railroads dispatch emergency personnel directly to the scene of an accident to minimize risk and minimize damages to property and individuals.
One of the most prominent innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC) that will stop collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks where they shouldn't be and other accidents that result from human error. The system is comprised of three parts of onboard locomotive systems that track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive; and a massive server that analyzes and collects data.
Passenger railroads also embrace technology to enhance safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to aid security personnel in finding passengers and other items aboard trains in case in the event of an emergency. The company is also exploring different ways to use drones, including deploying drones to conduct inspections of bridges and other infrastructure like replacing the lights on railway towers, which could be 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 objects or people on the tracks and send a warning to drivers if it's unsafe to travel. These technologies are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized or other issues during the evenings when traffic is less and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.
Another important technological advancement in the rail industry is telematics which allows shippers, railroads and other stakeholders to view the condition and status of a traincar via real-time tracking. These capabilities give railcar owners and crews better accountability and transparency and aid in improving efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays in delivering freight to customers.