The Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is among the 10 agencies of the DOT that are responsible for intermodal transportation. Its goal is to facilitate the secure and reliable transportation of people and goods.
FRA field inspectors regularly check railroad track, signal and train control systems as well as operating procedures. They also investigate complaints.
Definition
Federal railroads are rail transporters in the United States controlled by the federal government. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is responsible for the creation and enforcement of railway safety rules, oversees railway funding, and studies ways to improve rail transportation systems. The FRA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's intermodal transportation division and its top executives are the Administrator and the Deputy Administrator.
The agency is responsible for all freight and passenger transport that utilizes the rail network of the United States. The agency also consolidates the federal funding for rail transportation and assists in the rehabilitation of the Northeast Corridor passenger service. Moreover, the agency regulates the ownership and operation of all intermodal facilities, 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 are to establish through regulation, following an notification and comment, a process by anyone can report to the Secretary of Homeland Security concerning railroad security problems or deficiencies. In addition, the agency sets up policies and conducts inspections in order to evaluate compliance with its rail safety regulations in six technical disciplines that include track signals and train control motive power and equipment, operating practices, hazmat, and highway-rail grade crossings.
The agency is charged with the responsibility to make sure the railway transportation system is secure, economical and environmentally sustainable. This is why the agency requires railroads to ensure an environment that is safe for workers and provide adequate training for their employees. Additionally, the agency establishes and regulates railroad rates to ensure that the public gets a fair rate for their transportation services.
In addition the Federal Railroad Administration enacts and enforces rules to stop discrimination against railroad employees, and also protects whistleblowers from being retaliated against by railroad carriers. The agency also has procedures for railroad employees can make complaints against the company's actions.
The main goal of the FRA is to ensure safe, reliable and effective transportation of people and goods for a stronger America today and in the future. The FRA accomplishes this through overseeing the regulation of rail safety, managing railroad assistance programmes conducting research in support of improved railroad safety and national transportation policies as well as coordinating the development of rail networks and assisting the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads dominated the market, with very little competition. As a result, the industry frequently abused its position in the market. Therefore, Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission and other regulatory agencies to prevent the abuses of railroad monopolies.
Purpose
The federal railroad is a federal agency that establishes rules, oversees funds for rail and researches ways to improve the nation's rail transportation system. It manages the railway infrastructure of the United States and manages passenger and freight railroads. It is one of the ten agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding the existing railroad infrastructure.
The main responsibility of the federal government in the rail transportation industry is safety. The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for this. It has a variety of divisions that oversee the country's freight and passenger rail operations. The most important of these is the Office of Railroad Safety, which is home to approximately 350 safety inspectors and is responsible for conducting inspections that determine compliance with the regulations in six technical disciplines that include track signals, train control, motive power and equipment, operating practices, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.
FRA has additional departments, including the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This department is responsible for programs aimed at improving freight and passenger rail transportation, like the Northeast Corridor Future. The department is also responsible for the grants that are given to railways and works with other agencies to develop plans for the country's rail needs.
Another important function of the FRA is the enforcement of certain federal laws regarding railroads and their employees. This includes stopping railroads from discriminating against workers, and making sure that all railway employees injured are transported to the nearest hospital for first aid treatment. Railroads are also prohibited from delay or deny medical treatment for injured railway employees.
The FRA is the primary regulator of the freight and passenger rail industries, however there are other agencies which manage the economic aspects of rail transport. fela settlements is responsible for setting rates and managing economics in the sector. It has regulatory authority on railroad mergers, line-sales construction and abandonment. Other responsibilities include establishing rules after opportunity for public input and participation, where anyone can complain about alleged safety violations to the agency.
Functions
Rails transport goods and people from and to cities in the developed world as also to villages in less developed countries. They transport raw materials to manufacturing and processing factories, and the finished products from these factories to warehouses and stores. Railroads are a critical form of transportation for many vital products, including coal, oil, and grains. In 2020, freight rail carried more than a quarter of country's total freight volume [PDFThe PDF file contains.
The federal railroad is managed as a business. It has departments for marketing, sale, operations, and an executive department. The department of marketing and sales works with current and potential customers to determine the kind of rail services they require and how much they will cost. The operations department then produces the rail services that meet these requirements at the lowest possible cost to earn money for the railroad. The executive department is responsible for the entire operation, making sure each department is functioning efficiently.
The government provides support to railways with a variety means, including grants and subsidized rates on government-owned traffic. Congress also provides funds to support and build new stations and tracks. These subsidies are often in addition to the revenues 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 corporation, which has the United States Government as a major stockholder.
The primary role of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is establishing and enforcing safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical properties of trains as well as the safety and health of railroad employees. FRA also collects data on security of rail lines to identify trends, areas that need improvement or regulatory attention and to identify trends.
In addition to these fundamental duties, FRA works on various other projects aimed at improving the economy and security of railroad transportation in the United States. For instance, FRA seeks to eliminate obstacles that could delay railroads' introduction of positive train control systems (PTC). PTC is an emergency safety system that utilizes sensors and computers on board to stop the train automatically when it is too close to another vehicle or object.
History
In the 1820s and 1830s, the first railroads in America were built, mostly in New England and Mid-Atlantic. Railroads significantly accelerated industrialization in these regions and also brought more food items to the market. This helped the country to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on foreign imports, which helped to foster a strong economic base.
In the latter part of the 19th century the railroad industry experienced a "Golden Age" in which new, more efficient rail lines were built and passenger transportation became popular. The government's efforts to expand the railroad system were an important factor. The government, for example granted land grants to homesteaders in order 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 passenger rail services decreased, and other modes of transport like planes and automobiles increased in popularity. Meanwhile, stifling regulation hindered railroads' ability to compete. A series of bankruptcies and service cuts, and deferred maintenance was the next step. Additionally, a misguided federal railway regulations contributed to the decline of the industry.
In the year 1970 the federal government began to ease the regulatory shackles on railroads. Surface Transportation Board was created to oversee economic matters like railroad rates and mergers. The Federal Railroad Administration was also established, which is responsible for establishing rail safety regulations and is one of the 10 agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation which oversees passenger and freight transportation.
Since then, the railroad infrastructure of the United States has seen a significant amount of investment. The Northeast Corridor, for example, has been rebuilt to accommodate faster, more modern high speed ground transportation (HSGT) trains. There have also been efforts to develop more efficient systems for freight rail. FRA hopes to continue working with all transportation agencies to ensure the safety and reliability of rails in the coming years. FRA's mission is to ensure that the nation's transportation system operates as efficiently as it can.