The Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is among the 10 agencies of the DOT that are responsible for intermodal transportation. Its mission is enabling the safe and reliable transportation of people and goods.
FRA field inspectors routinely inspect railroad track, signal and train control systems, as and operating practices. They also investigate complaints.
Definition
Federal railroads are rail carriers in the United States controlled by the federal government. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) establishes and enforces safety regulations, manages railroad funding, and researches ways to improve rail transportation systems. fela lawyers is one of the 10 agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation which is responsible for intermodal transportation, and its chief executive officers are the Administrator and Deputy Administrator.
The agency is responsible for all freight and passenger transport that is made possible by the rail network of the United States. In addition the agency is also involved in the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor rail passenger service and consolidates the government's support for rail transportation activities. Moreover, the agency regulates the operation and ownership of all intermodal infrastructures such as tracks, right-of-way, equipment and real property as well as rolling stock. It also handles the overall coordination of federal rail transportation programs.
The FRA's responsibilities also include the establishment, through regulation and after an opportunity for comments an procedure that anyone can notify the Secretary Homeland Security any railroad security problems or issues. Additionally, the FRA creates policies and conducts inspections to assess the compliance with its rail safety laws in six technical disciplines: track signals and train control, motive power and machinery operating practices, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.
The agency is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the rail transportation system is secure, economical and environmentally sustainable. The agency also demands that railroads maintain a safe work environment and provide adequate training to their employees. Additionally, the agency establishes and enforces railroad rates to ensure that the public gets fair prices for their transportation services.
In addition the Federal Railroad Administration enacts and enforces rules to prevent discrimination against railroad employees, and also protects whistleblowers from retaliation from railroad companies. The agency also has a procedure by which railroad employees can make complaints regarding the company's actions.
The primary goal of the agency is to ensure the safe, reliable and effective transportation of people and goods for a stronger America now and in future. The FRA accomplishes this by controlling rail safety, coordinating programs to assist railroads conducting research in support of better safety of railroads and national transportation policies as well as coordinating the development of rail networks and assisting the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads were huge monopolies, with no competition. As a result, the industry often abused its position in the market. Hence, Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission and other regulatory agencies to limit abuses by railroad monopolies.
Purpose
The federal railroad is a federal agency that makes rules, oversees funds for rail and researches ways to improve the nation's rail transportation system. It oversees both passenger and freight railroads, and operates the nation's rail infrastructure. It is one of the ten agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding the current railway systems.
Security is the primary responsibility in the field of rail transportation. The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for this. It has a variety of divisions that oversee the country's freight and passenger railway operations. The most important of these is the Office of Railroad Safety, which has approximately 350 safety inspectors and is responsible for conducting inspections to determine compliance with regulations in six technical disciplines including track, signal and train control, motive power and equipment, operating procedures, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.
FRA has several departments, such as the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. It is responsible for the programs designed to improve freight and passenger rail transportation, including the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for granting grants given to railways and works with other agencies in order to plan the nation's railway requirements.
Another essential duty of the FRA is the enforcement of federal laws that pertain to railroads and their employees. This includes preventing railroads to discriminate against workers and ensuring that injured railway employees are taken to the nearest hospital to receive treatment. It also prohibits railroads from denying or delaying medical treatment to injured railway workers.
The FRA is the primary regulator of the rail passenger and freight industry, but other organizations oversee the economic aspects of rail transportation. Surface Transportation Board is responsible for setting rates and managing the economics of the industry. It has regulatory authority over mergers in the railroad industry, line sales construction and abandonment. After the public consultation period, the agency is also responsible for establishing regulations that allow anyone to report any alleged safety issues with rail.
Functions
Rails transport goods and people from and to cities in developed countries as and villages in countries that are less developed. They transport raw materials from manufacturing and processing facilities, and finished goods from these facilities to warehouses or stores. Railroads are a critical form of transportation for a variety of essential commodities, such as oil, coal and grains. In 2020, freight rail moved more than a quarter of nation's total freight volume [PDF].
A federal railroad operates like any other business, with departments for marketing and operations, sales and an executive department. The department for marketing and sales works with potential and existing customers as well as clients to determine the services they require and what they need to cost. The operations department then produces the rail services that meet these requirements at the lowest possible cost to generate revenue for the railroad. The executive department supervises the entire operation and makes sure that each department is running efficiently.
The government supports the railways by a variety of means, including grants and subsidized rates on government traffic. Congress also provides funds to support and construct new tracks and stations. These subsidies are often in addition to the revenue railroads receive from ticket sales and freight contracts.
In the United States, the government is the owner of the railway for passengers, Amtrak. It is a quasi public for-profit company, with the United States Government as a major stockholder.
A major role of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is to develop and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical condition of trains as well as the health and safety of railroad employees. FRA also collects and analyzes information on rail safety to identify trends and areas that need improved or increased regulatory attention.
In addition to these primary functions, FRA works on various other projects related to improving the security and economy of rail transportation in the United States. For instance, the agency aims to reduce barriers that might hinder railroads' introduction of positive train control systems (PTC). PTC is a security technology that makes use of sensors and computers on board to stop a train automatically when it is too close to another vehicle or object.
History
In the 1820s-1830s, the first railroads in the United States were built, primarily in New England and Mid-Atlantic. The railroads accelerated industrialization and brought more food to market in these areas. This helped the country become more independent and less dependent on imports.
In the latter half of the nineteenth century the railroad industry was experiencing an "Golden Age," during which many new trains that were more efficient were constructed, and passenger travel by train became increasingly popular. This was in large part because of the government's efforts to expand the railroad system. 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 passengers to travel from New York City to San Francisco within six days.
In the first half century, however, the demand for rail passenger services declined, and other modes of transportation like planes and cars gained in popularity. Meanwhile, stifling regulation hindered railroads' ability to compete. The industry was plagued by a string of bankruptcy service cuts, bankruptcy, and delayed maintenance. In addition, misguided federal railway regulation led to the decline of the railroad industry.
Around the year 1970, the federal government began loosening the regulatory restrictions on railroads. Surface Transportation Board was created to oversee economic matters such as railroad rates and mergers. The Federal Railroad Administration, which oversees passenger and freight transportation and sets safety standards for rail, was also created.
Since then, the railway infrastructure of the United States has seen a lot of investment. The Northeast Corridor has been rebuilt for instance, to accommodate faster and more modern high-speed ground transportation (HSGT). Efforts have also been made to improve the efficiency of freight rail systems. FRA hopes to continue working with all transportation agencies to ensure the safety and reliability of rails in the coming years. It is the agency's job to ensure that the transportation system of the United States operates as efficiently as possible.