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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations It also provides rail funding and studies strategies for improving rail safety. FRA inspectors on the ground use discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the time-consuming and precise civil penalty process. This discretion helps to ensure that the most serious violations are punished. SMART-TD and its allies made history by 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two persons should be in the locomotive cabs of freight trains. The fight isn't over. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to safeguard the health and safety of its employees and the general public. It is responsible for establishing and enforcing safety regulations for rail. fela settlements administers rail funding and studies rail improvement strategies and technological developments. It also develops the implementation and maintenance of plans for the maintenance of the current rail infrastructure and services. It also develops and improves the national rail network. The department expects all railroad employers to adhere to the strictest rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with the tools needed to be successful and secure. This includes participation in the confidential close call reporting system, setting up occupational health and safety committees, with full participation from unions and protection against retaliation and providing employees with needed personal safety equipment. FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of rail safety laws and regulations. They perform routine inspections on equipment and investigate complaints from hundreds of people. Anyone who violates rail safety laws may be punished with civil penalties. Safety inspectors at the agency have a wide discretion to determine whether violations fall within the legal definition of an act punishable with civil penalties. Additionally, the Office of Chief Counsel's security division examines all reports submitted from regional offices to determine their legality before determining penalties. This discretion is exercised both at the field and regional levels to ensure that civil penalties are only used in situations that warrant them. To be 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. The agency does not believe that a person who acts on a supervisor's directive has committed a willful offence. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the entire system that transports passengers and goods between metropolitan areas and cities. A plant railroad's trackage in the steel mill isn't considered to be 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. The agency is responsible for managing rail finance, which includes loans and grants for service and infrastructure improvement. The agency works with other DOT agencies and industry to develop strategies to improve the nation's railway system. This includes maintaining current rail services and infrastructure as well as addressing the need for new capacity and strategically expanding the network as well as coordinating regional and national systems planning and development. While most of the agency's work is focused on freight transportation, it also handles the transportation of passengers. The agency aims to connect people to the places they want and provide more options for travel. The agency is focused on enhancing the passenger experience and increasing the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring the rail network continues to operate efficiently. Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, relating to the size of the crews on trains. This issue has become a controversial one in recent years, with a few states passing legislation to require two-person crews on trains. The final rule codifies the minimum requirements for crew size at an international level, and ensures that all railroads are subject to consistent safety standards. This rule also requires that every railroad that has a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. This will allow FRA to identify the specific parameters of each operation and compare them with the typical two-person crew operation. This rule also changes the standard for reviewing an application for special approval from determining whether an operation is “consistent” with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is safer or more secure than a two-person crew operations. During the public comment period on this rule, a lot of people expressed support for a two-person crew requirement. In a letter to the editor 29 people voiced their concern that a single crew member would not be in a position to respond as quickly to train malfunctions or incidents at grade crossings or assist emergency personnel on an elevated highway crossing. The commenters emphasized that human factors are responsible for more than half of railroad accidents and they think that a bigger crew could help ensure the safety of the train and the cargo it transports. Technology Freight and passenger rails employ different 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), instrumented rail-inspection systems, driverless train rolling data centers and unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as drones). Technology isn't merely replacing jobs — it's empowering people to do their job more effectively and safely. Railroads for passengers use apps on smartphones and contactless fare cards to increase ridership and improve the efficiency of their system. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are moving closer to reality. The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote secure reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in America, is focused on modernizing the rail infrastructure. This multi-billion-dollar effort will see bridges, tunnels tracks, power systems and tracks updated, and stations renovated or replaced. The FRA's rail improvements program will be significantly extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a crucial component in this initiative. The most recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging, maintaining communication and using inputs from a range of stakeholders. It must continue to be aware of how its research contributes towards the department's main goal of ensuring the safety of people and goods by rail. One area where the agency may be able improve its effectiveness is in identifying and assisting the advancement of automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the main industry association for the freight rail industry that is focused on research policy, standard-setting and policy and has established an Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping create standards within the industry. FRA is likely to be interested in the group's development of an automated rail taxonomy. It is a standard that will clearly and consistently define the different levels of automation that could be applicable to both on-road and rail transit vehicles. The agency will also be looking to know the degree of safety risk that the industry believes is associated with implementing fully automated operation and whether the industry is contemplating additional safeguards to mitigate that risk. Innovation Railroads are adopting technology to increase worker safety and improve business processes. efficient and help ensure that the cargo they move reaches its destination safely. Examples of this technological advancement include the use of cameras and sensors to monitor freight, to new railcar designs that help keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Some of these technologies allow railroads to send emergency responders directly to accident sites to minimize risk and damages to property and individuals. One of the most prominent innovations in rail is Positive Train Control (PTC) which will prevent collisions between trains and trains, situations in which trains are on tracks that shouldn't be, and other accidents that result from human errors. This system is a three-part system consisting of onboard locomotive systems that track the train and wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive, and a massive backend server that analyzes and collects data. Railroads that transport passengers also use technology to increase safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist passenger security personnel in locating passengers and items on board trains in the event in an emergency. The company is also examining ways to make use of drones. They could be used to check bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lights on railway towers that are dangerous for workers to climb. Smart track technology is another technology that can be utilized in railways for passengers. It is able to detect objects or people on tracks and alert motorists that it is not safe to continue. These technologies are particularly effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other problems in the evenings when the traffic is lower and there are fewer witnesses to an accident. Telematics is another important technological advance in the rail industry. It lets railways, shippers, and other stakeholders to monitor a traincar in real-time. These capabilities give railcar owners and their crews more accountability and visibility and can help them improve efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and avoid delays in delivering freight to customers.