The 12 Best Federal Railroad Accounts To Follow On Twitter
The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology
The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces safety regulations for rail The Federal Railroad Administration also provides funding for rail and studies strategies for improving rail safety.
FRA field inspectors employ discretion to decide which cases are worthy of the precise and time-consuming civil penalty process. This ensures that the most serious violations of punishment are penalized.
SMART-TD members and allies have made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to allow two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight is not over.
Safety
The Federal Railroad Administration implements a variety of safety measures to protect the health of employees as well as the public. It is responsible for establishing and enforcing safety regulations for rail. It also oversees the funding for rail and studies rail improvement strategies and technology. It also formulates and implements a strategy to ensure that current rail services, infrastructure and capacity, and strategically develops and enhances the national rail network. The department requires all railroad employers to adhere to the strictest rules and regulations, empower their workers and provide them with the tools to be successful and safe. This includes taking part in a confidential close-call reporting system, establishing labor-management occupational safety and health committees, with full-union participation and antiretaliation provisions and giving employees the necessary personal protective equipment.
Inspectors of the FRA are at the forefront of enforcing safety on rail laws and regulations. fela accident attorney conduct regular inspections of equipment and conduct hundreds of investigations of complaints of noncompliance. Those who violate the safety rules for rail can be subject to civil penalties. The safety inspectors of the agency have broad discretion over whether an incident falls within the statutory definition of a criminal penalty-worthy act. The Office of Chief Counsel’s safety division also scrutinizes the reports that regional offices submit to ensure that they are legal prior to imposing penalties. The exercise of this discretion at both the field and regional levels helps ensure that the exacting, time-consuming civil penalty process is utilized only in situations that truly warrant the deterrent effect of a civil penalty.
To be convicted of a civil infringement the employee of a rail company must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern his or her actions. They must also knowingly not adhere to these rules. The agency does not 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 and between them. The trackage of a plant railroad at the steel mill isn't considered part of the general transportation system by rail even though it is physically connected to it.
Regulation
The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for establishing regulations for trains including those related to safety and the movement of hazardous substances. The agency also oversees rail financing which includes loans and grants for improvements to infrastructure and service. The agency collaborates with other DOT agencies as well as industry to develop strategies for improving the rail system of the United States. This includes maintaining the current rail infrastructure and services, responding to the demands for additional capacity and expanding the network strategically, and coordinating regional and national system development and planning.
The agency is mostly responsible for freight transportation but also supervises passenger transportation. The agency is working to provide more options for passenger travel and connect people with the places they want to go. The agency's focus is on improving the passenger's experience as well as enhancing the safety of its current fleet, and making sure that the rail network continues operating efficiently.
Railroads must adhere to a number of federal regulations, including those pertaining to the size of the crews on trains. In recent times, this issue has become controversial. Some states have passed legislation requiring two-person crews on trains. This final rule codifies the minimum crew size requirements at a federal level, ensuring that all railroads are subject to consistent safety standards.
This rule also requires each railroad that has a one-person train crew to notify FRA of the operation and submit a risk assessment. This will allow FRA to assess the requirements of each operation to the parameters of a standard two-person crew operation. This rule also alters the standard for reviewing a special approval request from determining whether an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is safer or safer than two-person crew operation.
During the public comment period for this rule, many people expressed support for the requirement of a two-person crew. A form letter sent by 29 people outlined their concerns 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. The commenters pointed out that human factors account 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 use various technologies to increase efficiency, enhance safety, and boost security. The language used in the rail industry includes many specific terms and acronyms, but some of the most significant developments include machines-vision systems, instrumented rail inspection systems, driverless trains, rolling data centers and drones that are not piloted (commonly called drones).
Technology isn't just about replacing certain jobs. It allows people to perform their jobs more effectively and more safely. Passenger railroads are using smartphones and contactless fare payment cards to improve ridership and improve the efficiency of the system. Other developments, like autonomous rail vehicles, are inching closer to becoming reality.
As part of its ongoing effort to ensure secure, reliable and affordable transportation for the entire nation The Federal Railroad Administration is focused on modernizing its rail infrastructure. This multi-billion dollar project will see tunnels, bridges, tracks and power systems updated and stations renovated or replaced. FRA's recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure law will dramatically grow the agency's rail improvement programs.
The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key part of this effort. The National Academies' recent review of the office concluded that it was successful in keeping in touch using inputs from a wide range of stakeholders. It still needs to be aware of how its research contributes towards the department's primary goal of ensuring safe movement of people and goods via rail.
One area in which the agency might be able to improve its effectiveness is in identifying and supporting the advancement of automated train systems and technologies. The Association of American Railroads, the primary freight rail association that focuses on research, policy, and standard-setting the Technical Advisory Group on Autonomous Train Operations to help in developing industry standards for implementing the technology.
The FRA is interested in the group’s development of a taxonomy to describe automated rail vehicles which defines clearly and consistently the different levels of automation. This could be applicable to both rail transit and on-road vehicles. The agency will also want to know the degree of safety risk that the industry sees with the introduction of fully automated operation and whether the industry is considering additional safeguards to mitigate that risk.
Innovation
Railroads are using technology to boost worker safety and improve business processes. efficient, and ensure that the cargo that they transport arrives at its destination safely. These innovations include cameras and sensors that monitor freight, to new railcar designs that help keep dangerous cargo safe during transport. Certain of these technologies provide a way for railroads to send emergency response personnel to the scene of an accident so they can swiftly reduce damage and minimize risk to people and property.
Positive Train Control (PTC) is among the most important innovations in rail. It can prevent train-to-train accidents, situations when trains are in a position they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human error. This system is made up of three parts consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train; wayside networks that communicate with the locomotive and a huge server that collects and analyses data.
Trains for passengers also adopt technology to enhance security and safety. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to aid security personnel in finding passengers and items on board trains in case in the event of an emergency. The company is also exploring other ways to use drones, for instance, using drones to conduct 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 is used in railways that transport passengers. It can detect people or objects on tracks and warn drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are especially useful in detecting crossings that are not authorized or other problems in the evenings when the traffic is lower and there are less witnesses to an accident.
Another significant technological advance in the railway industry is telematics which enables railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to see the status and condition of a traincar through real-time tracking. These capabilities give railcar owners and crews greater accountability and visibility and can assist them in improving efficiency, prevent unnecessary maintenance, and prevent delays in delivering freight to customers.
