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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail, provides rail funding and studies strategies for improving rail safety. FRA field inspectors make use of discretion to decide on which cases merit the precise and time-consuming civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that the most serious violations of punishment are penalized. 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 is not over. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to protect the health and welfare of employees and the public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing rail safety regulations. It also manages the funding for rail and studies rail improvement strategies and technological developments. It also develops the implementation and maintenance of a plan for maintaining the current infrastructure and services for rail. It also works to expand and improve the rail network across the nation. The department expects that all rail operators adhere to strict guidelines and empower their employees, and provide them with tools to ensure their safety and success. This includes participating in the confidential close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational health and safety committees with full participation from unions and protection against retaliation and providing employees with needed personal protective equipment. FRA inspectors are on the front lines of enforcement of railway safety laws and regulations. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and investigate complaints from hundreds of people. Those who violate rail safety laws may be penalized civilly. The safety inspectors of the agency have a broad discretion on whether an individual violation is in line with the statutory description of a civil penalty-worthy act. In addition, the Office of Chief Counsel's safety department reviews all reports received by regional offices for legality before determining penalties. This discretion is exercised at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used in situations that warrant them. To be guilty of a civil offense an employee of a railroad must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions. They also must be aware that they not adhere to these rules. The agency does not consider that an individual 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 entire system over which goods and passengers travel within cities and metropolitan areas, or between them. The trackage of a plant railroad in a steel mill is not considered part of the general rail system of transportation even though it is physically connected to it. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, including those related to safety and the movement of hazardous materials. fela attorneys oversees rail financing which includes loans and grants for infrastructure and service improvements. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies and industry to devise strategies for improving the nation's rail system. This work includes maintaining current rail infrastructure and services and in addition to addressing the need for additional capacity, strategically expanding the network and coordinating national and regional systems planning and development. The agency is primarily responsible for freight transport, but also manages passenger transportation. The agency is aiming to provide more options for passenger travel and connect people to the places they'd like to travel to. The agency's focus is on improving the passenger's experience as well as enhancing the safety of its existing fleet and ensuring the rail network continues operating efficiently. Railroads are required to comply with a range of federal regulations, including those relating to the size and composition of train crews. In recent times, this issue has become controversial. Certain states have passed legislation requiring two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies federally the minimum size of crew requirements, ensuring that all railroads follow the same safety standards. This rule also requires that every railroad operating a one-person crew notify FRA and submit a risk analysis. This will allow FRA to identify the specifics of each operation and compare them with the parameters of a typical two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the criteria for reviewing an application for special approval from determining if an operation is “consistent” with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is as secure or safer than two-person crew operations. During the period of public comment on this rule, a number of people expressed their support for a requirement of two people on the crew. In a formal letter 29 people expressed their concern that a single crewmember would not be in a position to respond in a timely manner to train accidents or malfunctions at grade crossings, or assist emergency response personnel at the highway-rail level crossing. The commenters pointed out that human factors are responsible for more than half of railroad accidents and they believe that a larger crew will ensure the safety of the train and the cargo it transports. Technology Trains for passenger and freight use a variety of technologies to increase efficiency, improve security, and improve safety. Rail industry jargon covers many distinct terms and acronyms. Some of the most prominent include machine vision systems (also known as drones) instruments for rail-inspection systems driverless trains rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicle (also known as drones). Technology doesn't just replace some jobs. It helps people perform their jobs better and safer. Railroads for passengers use apps on smartphones and contactless fare cards in order to increase passengership and boost the efficiency of their system. Other innovations, such as autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to becoming reality. The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote secure, reliable, and affordable transportation in America is focusing on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This multi-billion dollar project will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems, and tracks upgraded and stations renovated or replaced. FRA's recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure law will significantly grow the agency's rail improvement programs. The agency's Office of Research, Development and Technology is a major piece in this effort. The National Academies' recent review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging, maintaining communications with inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. It is still required to be aware of how its research contributes towards the department's primary goal of ensuring safe movement of people and goods by rail. The agency could improve its effectiveness by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the main industry association for the freight rail industry that focuses on research policy, standard-setting and policy, established an Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations in order to help establish standards for the industry. The FRA is interested in the group's development of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles, a system that defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This would apply to rail transit as well as vehicles on the road. 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 Rail companies are adopting new technologies to increase worker safety, increase efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the cargo they transport arrives at its destination intact. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight to innovative railcar designs that help keep dangerous cargo safe during transportation. Some of these technologies even provide a way for railroads to dispatch emergency personnel to locations of accidents so they can swiftly reduce risks to property and people. One of the most well-known innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC), which will inhibit collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks where they shouldn't be and other accidents that result from human mistakes. This system consists of three components 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 increase safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to aid security personnel in locating passengers and other items onboard trains in the event in an emergency. The company is also looking into other ways to use drones, for instance, using them to perform inspections of bridges and other infrastructure such as replacing the lighting on railway towers that could be dangerous for workers to climb. Smart track technology is a different technology that can be utilized in passenger railroads. It is able to detect people or objects on tracks and alert drivers if it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are especially effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other issues in the evenings, when traffic is low and there are fewer witnesses to an accident. Telematics is a significant technological breakthrough in the railway industry. It lets railways, shippers, and other parties to track a traincar in real-time. Crews and railcar operators will benefit from increased accountability and transparency, which will help them improve efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help reduce delays when delivering freight.