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The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for safety regulations for rail and enforcement, as well as funding for rail, and research on rail improvement strategies. FRA field inspectors use discretion to decide on which cases warrant the exact and time consuming civil penalty process. This allows them to ensure that the violations most deserving of punishment are penalized. SMART-TD, along with its allies, made history by 2024 when they convinced the FRA that two people should be allowed in the locomotive cabs of freight trains. The fight is not over. Safety The Federal Railroad Administration has a variety of safety measures in place to safeguard the health and welfare of employees and the public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing rail safety regulations. It also manages rail funding and conducts research on improvements to rail strategies and technology. It also creates plans, implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of the current infrastructure and services for rail. It also develops and improves the rail network across the nation. The department requires that all rail operators adhere to strict guidelines and empower their employees, and provide them with tools to be secure and productive. This includes taking part in an anonymous close-call reporting system, setting up labor-management occupational safety and health committees that have full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and providing employees with the required personal protective equipment. FRA inspectors are at the forefront of enforcement of the rail safety laws and regulations. They conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct a myriad of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Civil penalties may be handed out to those who violate railroad safety laws. Safety inspectors at the agency have a broad discretion to determine whether violations fall within the statutory definition of an offense that is punishable with civil penalties. Additionally the Office of Chief Counsel's security division reviews all reports that are received by regional offices to determine legality prior to assessing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the regional and field levels ensures that the lengthy, time-consuming civil penalty process is used only in situations that truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil fine. Rail employees must be aware of rules and regulations that govern his actions and knowingly disregard those rules to commit a criminal offense that is punishable by a civil penalty. The agency does not believe that an individual who acts in response to a supervisor's direction has committed a willful offense. The agency defines “general railroad system” as the entire system that transports passengers and goods between cities and metropolitan areas. A plant railroad's trackage in the steel mill isn't considered to be part of the overall transportation system by rail even though it is physically connected to it. Regulation The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible to establish regulations for train operations that pertain to safety and the movement of hazardous substances. The agency also manages rail financing which includes loans and grants for improvements to infrastructure and service. 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 and making sure that there is enough capacity and strategically expanding the network and coordinating regional and national systems planning and development. Although the majority of the agency's work focuses on freight transportation, it also handles passenger transportation. The agency is working to connect people with the places they'd like to visit and offer more options for travel. The agency is focused on enhancing the passenger experience, improving the safety of the existing fleet, and ensuring the rail network is operating efficiently. Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, relating to the size of crews on trains. This is a controversial one in recent years, with several states passing legislation that requires two-person crews on trains. This final rule establishes federally the minimum size crew requirements, ensuring that all railroads adhere to the same safety standards. This rule also requires that every railroad that has a one-person crew notify FRA and submit an analysis of risk. fela claims railroad employees accidentinjurylawyers.claims will enable FRA to assess the requirements of each operation to the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. This rule also changes the criteria for reviewing a special approval request from determining if an operation is “consistent” with railroad safety, to determining if the operation is as secure or more secure than a two-person crew operations. During the period of public comments for this rule, a lot of people voted for a requirement for a two person crew. A letter from 29 individuals emphasized their concerns that a single crew member would not be as quick to respond to train malfunctions or grade crossing incidents, or assist emergency response personnel at a highway-rail grade crossing. Commenters noted that human factors are the reason for a majority of railroad accidents. They believe that a larger crew will ensure the safety of the train as well as its cargo. Technology Freight and passenger rails employ various technologies to increase efficiency, enhance safety, and boost security. Rail industry jargon covers a variety of specific terms and acronyms. Some of the most notable include machine vision systems (also known as drones) instruments for rail-inspection systems, driverless train, 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 more safely. Passenger railroads are using smartphone apps and contactless fare payment cards to increase ridership and make the system more efficient. Other innovations, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to becoming a reality. The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure safe reliable, affordable, and cost-effective transportation in the United States, is focused on modernizing the railway infrastructure. This is a multi-billion dollars project that will see tunnels and bridges restored as well as tracks and power systems upgraded and stations rebuilt or upgraded. The FRA's rail improvement program will be substantially extended by the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is an essential part of this initiative. The National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it excelled in engaging, maintaining communications with and using inputs from a variety of stakeholders. But it still needs to be more focused on how its research helps the department achieve its primary strategic goal of ensuring safe movement of people and goods via railway. The agency could increase its effectiveness by identifying and implementing automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the principal industry association for the freight rail industry that focuses on research policy, standard-setting and policy created the Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations to assist in helping develop standards within the industry. The FRA is interested in the creation of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This could be applicable to rail transit as well as on-road vehicles. The agency will need to know the level of risk the industry is assessing with fully automated operation, as well as whether the industry is considering any additional safeguards to minimize the risk. Innovation Railroads are embracing technology to improve worker safety and make business processes more efficient, and ensure that the cargo that they transport arrives at its destination intact. These innovations range from sensors and cameras that monitor freight, to new railcar designs which keep hazardous cargo safe during transportation. Certain of these technologies allow railroads to send emergency responders to areas of accidents so that they can swiftly mitigate damage and reduce the risk to property and people. Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most significant innovations in rail. It will prevent train-to-train accidents, situations when trains are in a position they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human errors. It is a three-part system comprised of locomotives onboard that track the train, wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive, and an enormous backend server that gathers and analyzes data. Railroads that transport passengers are also embracing technology to bolster security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with drones to aid security personnel in finding passengers and other items onboard trains in case in the event of an emergency. The company is also examining ways to make use of drones. They could be used to inspect bridges and other infrastructures or to replace the lighting on railway towers that are hazardous for workers to climb. Smart track technology is another technology that can be utilized in railways for passengers. It can detect objects or people on tracks and warn motorists that it is not safe to continue. These kinds of technologies are particularly beneficial in detecting unsafe crossings and other issues during times when traffic levels are lower and there are fewer people to witness an accident. Telematics is a significant technological advancement in the rail industry. It lets railways, shippers, and other stakeholders to follow a traincar's progress in real-time. Traincar crews and operators can benefit from increased accountability and visibility, which will help them improve efficiency, avoid unnecessary maintenance and delay in the delivery of freight.