The Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is among the 10 agencies of DOT which are responsible for intermodal transportation. Its mission is to enable the safe and secure transportation of goods and people.
FRA field inspectors examine the railroad track signals, train control and track systems as well operating practices. They also investigate complaints.
Definition
Federal railroads are rail carriers in the United States controlled by the federal government. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, creates and enforces regulations for railways, administers railroad funds, and conducts research to improve rail transportation. The FRA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's intermodal transportation division, and its chief officers are the Administrator and the Deputy Administrator.
The agency is responsible for all freight and passenger transport that is made possible by the rail network of the United States. The agency also coordinates the funding provided by the federal government for rail transportation, and helps with the rehabilitation of the Northeast Corridor passenger service. Additionally, the agency oversees the operation and ownership of all intermodal infrastructures such as tracks, right-of-way, equipment real property, and rolling stock, and also provides the overall coordination of federal rail transportation programs.
FRA's duties also include establishing, through regulation and after an opportunity to comment, a procedure by which anyone can notify the Secretary Homeland Security any railroad security problems or deficiencies. Additionally, the FRA sets up policies and conducts inspections to determine compliance with its rail safety regulations in six technical disciplines that include track signals and train control, motive power and machinery operating practices, hazmat, and highway-rail grade crossings.
The agency has the responsibility of making sure the railroad transportation system is safe, economical and sustainable. The agency also demands that railroads to provide a safe working environment and provide adequate training to their employees. Additionally, the agency establishes and regulates railroad rates to ensure that the public is receiving an equitable price for their transportation services.
In addition the Federal Railroad Administration enacts and enforces rules to stop discrimination against railroad employees as well as protects whistleblowers from retaliation from railroad carriers. fela case settlements has an avenue for railroad employees to file complaints regarding the conduct of their company.
The agency's main mission is to ensure the safe, reliable and effective transportation of people and goods for a strong America both now and in the future. The FRA achieves this by regulating railroad safety, managing programs for assistance to railroads conducting research to help the improvement of safety for railroads and national rail transportation policies and coordination, as well as supporting the development of a rail network, and helping the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads were large monopolies with little competition. The railroad industry was able to abuse its dominance in the market as a result. Hence, Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission and other regulatory agencies to prevent abuses by railroad monopolies.
Purpose
The federal railroad is a government agency that sets rules, oversees funds for rail and studies ways to improve the nation's rail transportation system. It supervises freight and passenger railroads, and also manages the nation's railway infrastructure. It is one of the 10 agencies in the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding the current rail systems.
Safety is the main responsibility in the field of rail transportation. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is in charge of this, and it has several divisions that manage the country's passenger and freight railroad operations. The most important of these is the Office of Railroad Safety, with about 350 safety inspectors. It is responsible for conducting inspections that determine compliance with regulations in six technical disciplines: track signals, train control, motive power and equipment, operating practices as well as hazmat and highway rail grade crossings.
FRA has additional departments which include the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This oversees the programs that are meant to improve freight and passenger rail transportation, such as the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for grants for railways and collaborates with other agencies to determine the nation's rail requirements.
The FRA also has a responsibility to enforce federal laws that pertain to railroads and their employees. This includes preventing railroads from discriminating against employees, and making sure that all railway employees injured receive transportation to the nearest hospital for initial aid treatment. It also prohibits railroads to delay or deny medical treatment for injured railway workers.
The FRA is the main regulator of the rail passenger and freight industry, but other organizations oversee the economic aspects of rail transportation. Surface Transportation Board is responsible for establishing rates and managing economics in the industry. It is also responsible for regulating mergers in the railroad industry and line sales, construction and abandonment. Other responsibilities include establishing regulations after opportunity for public input and participation, where anyone can submit complaints about rail safety violations to the agency.
Functions
Rails transport people and goods from and to cities in developed countries as also to villages in countries that are less developed. They transport raw materials from processing and manufacturing facilities, and finished products from these facilities to stores or warehouses. Rail is a vital form of transportation for a variety of essential commodities, including grain, oil, and coal. In 2020, freight railroads carried more than a quarter of the freight volume in the United States [PDF].
The federal railroad is run as a business. It has departments for marketing, operations, sales, and an executive department. The department of marketing and sales works with potential and current customers to determine what kind of rail services they require and the amount they should cost. The operations department then creates rail services that meet these needs at the lowest price possible to generate revenue for railroads. The executive department supervises the entire operation, making sure each department is functioning efficiently.
The government supports the railways with a variety means such as grants and subsidised rates on government traffic. Congress also provides funds to help build new stations and tracks. These subsidies are often in addition to the revenue the railroads earn from tickets and freight contracts.
In the United States, the government has the passenger railway Amtrak. It is a quasi-public, for-profit corporation with a large stockholder, which is the United States government.
The primary purpose of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is developing and enforcing safety regulations for railroads. This involves regulating the mechanical condition of trains as well as the safety and health of railroad employees. FRA also collects data on rail security to identify trends and areas that require improvement or attention from the regulatory side and to track trends.
In addition to these core tasks, FRA works on various other projects related to improving the economy and security of rail transportation in the United States. The agency, for example is working to eliminate obstacles that can hinder railroads in adopting positive train control (PTC). PTC is a safety system that uses sensors and on-board computers to stop the train automatically when it is too close to another vehicle or other object.
History
The first railroads in the United States were constructed in the 1820s and 1830s largely in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. The railroads accelerated industrialization and brought more food products to the market in these regions. This allowed the country become more self-sufficient and less dependent on imports.
In the latter part of the 19th century, the railroad industry enjoyed the benefits of a "Golden Age" that saw new, more efficient raillines were built and passenger travel became popular. The government's efforts to expand the railroad system were a major reason. For instance, the government granted homesteaders land grants to encourage them to settle the West. Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads also worked together to construct the first transcontinental railroad, which allowed travelers to travel from New York City to San Francisco in just six days.
In the first half century however, the demand for passenger rail services declined, and other modes of transportation like planes and cars became more popular. Meanwhile, stifling regulation stifled railroads' economic ability to compete. A series of bankruptcies and service cuts, and deferred maintenance was the next step. In addition, a misguided railroad regulations from the federal government led to the decline of the industry.
Around 1970, federal authorities began to ease the restrictions on railroads' regulatory requirements. Surface Transportation Board was created to oversee economic matters such as railroad rates and mergers. The Federal Railroad Administration was also created, which sets standards for rail safety and is one of the 10 agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation that oversees freight and passenger transportation.
Since then, a large amount of money has been made in the country's railway infrastructure. The Northeast Corridor has been rebuilt for instance, to allow for faster and more modern high-speed ground transportation (HSGT). Efforts have also been made to develop more efficient freight rail systems. In the future, FRA hopes to continue its relationship with all transportation agencies in order to ensure safe and reliable railroads. The role of FRA is to ensure that the nation's transport system is running as efficiently as it can.