Is Technology Making Federal Railroad Better Or Worse?
The Federal Railroad Administration and Technology
The Federal Railroad Administration creates and enforces rail safety regulations, provides rail funding and researches rail improvement strategies.
FRA inspectors on the ground use discretion to determine which cases are worthy of the lengthy and precise civil penalty procedure. This ensures that the violations most deserving of punishment are punished.
Allies and members of SMART-TD made history in 2024 by pushing the FRA to allow two people in the locomotive cab of freight trains. The fight continues.
Safety
The Federal Railroad Administration implements a variety of safety measures to ensure the health of its employees and public. It is responsible for developing and enforcing safety regulations for rail. It also oversees the funding for rail and studies rail improvement strategies and technologies. It also develops, implements and maintains plans for the maintenance of the current infrastructure and services for rail. It also develops and improves the national rail network. The department requires all rail companies to abide by strict rules and regulations, and empower their employees and provide them with tools to be successful and safe. This includes participating in an anonymous close-call reporting system, creating labor-management occupational safety and health committees, with 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 regulations and laws. They conduct routine inspections of equipment and investigate complaints from hundreds of people. Anyone who is in violation of rail safety laws may be subject to civil penalties. The safety inspectors of the agency have a broad discretion on whether an individual violation is in line with the legal definition of a civil penalty-worthy act. In fela accident attorney , the Office of Chief Counsel's safety division examines all reports submitted from regional offices to determine their legality before determining penalties. This discretion is exercised both at the regional and field levels to ensure that civil penalties are only applied when they are necessary.
A rail employee must be aware of the rules and regulations that govern their actions and knowingly disregard those guidelines to be guilty of a civil penalty-worthy offence. However, the agency does not take any person who follows a directive from a supervisor to have committed an intentional violation. The agency defines "general railroad system" as the whole network that carries goods and passengers between cities and metropolitan areas. The trackage of a plant railroad within a steelmill is not considered to be part of the general rail transportation system, despite the fact that it's physically connected.
Regulation
The Federal Railroad Administration sets train regulations, including those pertaining to safety and movement of hazardous materials. The agency oversees rail finance, which includes grants and loan to improve service and infrastructure. The agency works with other DOT agencies as well as industry to devise strategies for improving the rail system of the United States. This includes maintaining current rail services and infrastructure and 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 activities are focused on freight transportation, it also manages passenger transportation. The agency aims to connect people to the destinations they desire and offer more choices for travel. The agency is focused on improving the passenger experience as well as increasing the safety of the current fleet, and ensuring that the rail network continues to operate efficiently.
Railroads must abide by a variety of federal regulations, including those related to the size of crews on trains. In recent years, this issue has become controversial. Some states have passed legislation requiring two-person crews on trains. This final rule outlines the minimum requirements for crew size at a federal level, ensuring that all railroads are subject to consistent safety standards.
This rule also requires that every railroad operating a one-person crew notify FRA and submit a risk analysis. This will enable FRA to compare the parameters 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 if an operation is "consistent" with railroad safety standards to determining whether the operation is safer or safer than two-person crew operations.
During the period of public comment for this rule, a number of people voiced their support for a requirement for a two person crew. A letter from 29 individuals emphasized their concerns that a single crew member might not be as quick to respond to train malfunctions or grade crossing incidents or assist emergency responders at a highway-rail grade crossing. Commenters noted that human factors are the reason for more than half all railroad accidents. They believe that a larger crew would ensure the safety of the train as well as its cargo.
Technology
Trains for passenger and freight use different technologies to increase efficiency, increase safety, and boost security. Rail industry jargon includes many unique terms and acronyms. Some of the most notable 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 also empowering individuals to perform their work better and safer. Passenger railroads are using smartphones apps and contactless fare payment cards in order to boost ridership and make the system more efficient. Other innovations such as autonomous rail cars are moving closer to reality.
As part of 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 is a multi-billion dollars effort that will see bridges and tunnels restored tracks, power systems and tracks upgraded and stations rebuilt or upgraded. The recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law will significantly grow the agency's rail improvement programs.
The Office of Research, Development and Technology of the agency is a key part of this initiative. Recent National Academies review of the office revealed that it was successful in engaging, maintaining communication and using inputs from a range 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 by railway.
The agency could improve its efficiency by identifying and supporting automated train systems and technology. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is the main industry association for the freight rail industry, which is focused on research and policy, as well as standard setting created an Technical Advisory Group for Autonomous Train Operations in order to help develop standards within the industry.
The FRA is interested in the creation of a taxonomy for automated rail vehicles, a system that 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 want to know the degree of risk the industry is assessing with fully automated operation, and if the industry is considering additional safeguards to minimize that risk.
Innovation
Rail companies are adopting new technologies to improve worker safety, improve efficiency in business processes, and ensure that the freight they transport reaches its destination intact. These innovations vary from cameras and sensors that monitor freight to innovative railcar designs that keep hazardous cargo safe during transit. Some of these technologies provide a way for railroads to send emergency response personnel to areas of accidents so that they can swiftly reduce damage and reduce the risk to people and property.
Positive Train Control (PTC) is one of the most significant innovations in rail. It will stop train-to-train accidents, instances when trains are in a position they shouldn't and other accidents caused by human error. It is a three-part process consisting of locomotives onboard that track the train and wayside networks that connect with the locomotive and a massive backend server that collects and analyzes data.
Railroads that transport passengers also use technology to improve safety and security. For instance, Amtrak is experimenting with the use of drones to assist passenger security personnel in finding passengers and items on board trains in the event of an emergency. The company is also exploring other possibilities to utilize drones, including deploying drones to inspect bridges as well as other infrastructure, like replacing the lighting on railway towers, which could be hazardous for workers to climb.
Smart track technology is another technology that can be used in railways that transport passengers. It can detect objects or people on tracks and alert drivers that it is unsafe to continue. These technologies are particularly effective in detecting unsafe crossings or other issues during the evenings, when traffic is low and there are fewer witnesses to an accident.
Another important technological breakthrough in the railway industry is telematics which enables railroads, shippers and other stakeholders to see the status and condition of a traincar by real-time tracking. Traincar crews and operators can benefit from increased accountability and transparency which can help them increase efficiency and avoid unnecessary maintenance. It will also help delay in the delivery of freight.