The Biggest Issue With Federal Railroad, And How You Can Fix It
The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology
The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations It also provides rail funding and conducts research on strategies to improve rail infrastructure.
FRA inspectors on the ground make use of discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty procedure. This allows them to 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 in the cabs of freight 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 and the public. It is responsible for creating and enforcing regulations for rail safety. It also administers rail funding, and conducts research on improvements to rail strategies and technology. It also formulates, implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of current rail services and infrastructure. It also expands and improves strategically the rail network across the nation. The department demands that all rail companies adhere to strict rules and empower their employees, and provide them with the tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes 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 leading edge of enforcing rail safety regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and conduct hundreds of investigations of complaints of non-compliance. Civil penalties may be imposed on those who violate the rail safety laws. Safety inspectors from the agency have a broad discretion to determine whether an act is within the statutory definition 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 legality prior to assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the field and regional levels helps ensure that the time-consuming, costly civil penalty process is applied only in cases which truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil fine.
To be considered guilty of a civil offense, a rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations governing his or her actions. They also must be aware that they ignore these rules. However the agency doesn't consider anyone who follows a directive from a supervisor to have committed a willful violation. The agency defines the "general railroad system of transportation" as the entire system over which goods and passengers travel within metropolitan areas and between them. The trackage of a plant railroad at the steel mill isn't considered part of the general rail system of transportation, even though it is physically connected to it.
Regulation
The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible to establish regulations for train operations including those related to safety and the movement of dangerous substances. The agency also oversees rail financing including loans and grants for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency works with other DOT agencies as well as industry to devise strategies for improving the nation's rail infrastructure. This includes ensuring the current rail infrastructure and services, addressing the need for capacity expansion, expanding the network strategically and coordinating the regional and national system planning and development.
The agency is primarily responsible for freight transportation but also manages passenger transportation. The agency is trying to connect people to the places they'd like to visit and offer more choices for travel. The agency is focused primarily on improving the experience of passengers, enhancing safety of the existing fleet and ensuring the rail network is operating efficiently.
Railroads must comply with many federal regulations, including those related to the size of the crews on trains. This issue has become controversial in recent years, with a few states passing legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule defines federally the minimum crew size requirements, making sure that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards.
This rule also requires each railroad that has one-person train crews to notify FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will enable FRA to compare the parameters of each operation with the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the review standard of an application for special approval from determining whether an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety, to determining if the operation is as secure or safer than two-person crew operations.
During the public comment period for this rule, many people expressed support for the requirement for a two-person crew. A form letter sent by 29 people expressed their concern that a lone crewmember could not be as quick to respond to issues with trains or grade crossing incidents, or assist emergency responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. Commenters pointed out that human factors are responsible for a majority of railroad accidents. They believe that a larger crew would ensure the safety of the train as well as its cargo.
Technology
Railroads for passenger and freight use numerous technologies to improve efficiency, add security, increase safety and much more. Rail industry jargon covers various unique terms and acronyms. Some of the most notable include machine vision systems (also called drones) instruments for rail-inspection systems driverless trains, rolling data centers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (also called drones).
Technology isn't merely replacing jobs; it's helping people to perform their jobs better and safer. Railroads that transport passengers use smartphones and contactless fare cards to increase ridership and increase the efficiency of their system. Other developments, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to reality.
As part of its ongoing effort to advance safe, reliable, and affordable transportation for the entire 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 multi-billion-dollar effort will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems, and tracks updated and stations being rebuilt or replaced. fela railroad settlements passed bipartisan infrastructure law will substantially increase the agency's rail improvement programs.
The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a major element in this initiative. Recent National Academies review of the office found it excelled at engaging in a continuous dialogue and utilizing the inputs from a variety of stakeholders. But it still needs to concentrate on how its research contributes to the department's primary strategic goal of ensuring the safe movement of people and goods by railway.
One area where the agency might be able to improve its effectiveness is in identifying and assisting the advancement of automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the principal industry association for the freight rail industry, which focuses on research and policy, as well as standard setting, established an Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to help create standards within the industry.
FRA will be interested in the group's creation of an automated rail taxonomy. It is a standardization system that can clearly and consistently define different levels of automation that could be applicable to both rail and on-road transit vehicles. The agency would like to know the level of risk the industry perceives with fully automated operation, and if the industry is contemplating any additional safeguards to minimize the risk.
Innovation
Rail companies are adopting technology to enhance worker safety, increase efficiency in business processes and ensure that the freight they transport arrives at its destination intact. These innovations vary from cameras and sensors that monitor freight to innovative railcar designs that help keep dangerous cargo safe during transportation. Some of these technologies allow railroads send emergency responders directly to accident sites to minimize danger and minimize the damage to property and people.
Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most significant innovations in rail. It is designed to prevent train-to-train accidents, situations when trains are in a position they shouldn't be, and other accidents caused by human error. This system is made up of three components consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train; wayside networks which communicate with the locomotive; and a huge server that collects and analyses data.
Railroads that transport passengers also use technology to improve safety and security. Amtrak is one example. It is experimenting with drones to assist train security personnel locate passengers and other items in the event of an emergency. The company is also exploring other ways to use drones, such as using them to perform inspections of bridges and other infrastructure, such as replacing the lights on railway towers that could be dangerous for workers to climb.
Smart track technology is a different technology that can be used in passenger railroads. It is able to detect objects or people on tracks and warn drivers if it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are particularly useful for detecting unauthorized crossings or other issues in the evenings when traffic is less and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.
Telematics is a significant technological advance in the railway industry. It allows railways, shippers and other parties to track a traincar in real-time. These capabilities provide railcar operators and crews greater accountability and transparency and assist them in improving efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and reduce delays in the delivery of freight to customers.