The Federal Railroad Administration

The Federal Railroad Administration is one of the DOT's 10 agencies concerned with intermodal transportation. Its mission is to enable the safe and secure transportation of goods and people.

FRA field inspectors inspect the railroad track, train control and signal systems as well operating practices. They also investigate complaints.

Definition

Federal railroads are the rail carriers in the United States controlled by the federal government. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, develops and enforces railway regulations and regulates funds for railroads, and conducts research to improve rail transportation. The FRA is one of the 10 agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation that is concerned with intermodal transportation. Its chief executive officers are the Administrator and Deputy Administrator.

The agency oversees all freight and passenger transportation that uses the nation's railway network. In addition the agency supports the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor rail passenger service and consolidates government support for rail transportation. Moreover, federal employers liability the agency regulates the ownership and operation of all intermodal infrastructures such as tracks, rights-of-way, equipment real property, and rolling stock. It also handles the overall coordination of federal rail transportation programs.

FRA's responsibilities also include establishing through regulation, and after an opportunity for comment, a procedure by which anyone can report to the Secretary Homeland Security any railroad security problems or issues. The agency also establishes guidelines, conducts inspections and assesses the compliance with its rail laws in six technical disciplines, including track signal, track, and train control as well as motive power and equipment; operating procedures; hazmat and highway-rail grade intersections.

The agency has the responsibility of ensuring that the railway transportation system is operating in a safe, economical, and environmentally friendly manner. In turn, the agency requires railroads to provide the safety of their workers and provide appropriate training for their employees. The agency also determines and enforces the cost of railroad services to ensure that the public is billed fairly for transportation services.

The Federal Railroad Administration also enacts and enforces rules to stop discrimination against railroad employees. The agency also safeguards whistleblowers against retaliation from railroad carriers. The agency also establishes a complaint procedure for railroad employees to make complaints about the conduct of the company.

The primary goal of the FRA is to facilitate the secure reliable and efficient transportation of goods and people to build a stronger America both now and in the future. The FRA accomplishes this through overseeing the safety of railroads, regulating railroad assistance programs conducting research to help better safety of railroads and national rail transportation policies, coordinating and supporting the development of a rail network, and helping the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads dominated the market with no competition. This meant that railroads often misused their position in the marketplace. Therefore, Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission and other regulatory agencies to prevent the abuses committed by railroad monopolies.

Purpose

The federal railroad is a federal agency that establishes rules, oversees funds for rail and studies ways to improve the nation's rail transport system. It supervises freight and passenger railroads and operates the nation's rail infrastructure. It is one of 10 agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding the current railroad systems.

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 railroad operations. The Office of Railroad Safety is the largest with approximately 350 inspectors. It is responsible for conducting safety inspections in six different technical disciplines, including track, signal, and train control equipment and motives, operating procedures, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.

FRA has additional departments, including the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This department oversees programs aimed at enhancing passenger and freight railway transport, including the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for granting grants for railways and collaborates with other agencies in order to plan the nation's rail requirements.

The FRA also has a responsibility to enforce federal laws pertaining to railroads and workers. This includes stopping railroads from using their power to discriminate against employees and making sure that all injured railway staff are taken to the nearest hospital for treatment. Additionally, railroads are prohibited from refusing or delaying medical treatment for injured railway employees.

The FRA is the main regulator Fela Lawyer of the freight and passenger rail industries, however there are other agencies that manage the economic aspects of rail transport. Surface Transportation Board is responsible for setting rates and managing economics in the industry. It also has the authority to regulate railroad mergers lines sales, construction and abandonment. After a period of public consultation, the agency is also accountable for establishing regulations that permit anyone to file a complaint about any alleged rail safety violations.

Functions

Railroads transport goods and people to and from cities in developed nations as and remote 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. Railroads are a vital mode of transportation for many essential commodities, such as coal, oil, and grains. In 2020, freight railroads carried more than a quarter of the freight volumes in the United States [PDFThe PDF file contains more information about.

The federal railroad is managed like any other business. It has departments for marketing and operations, sales and an executive department. The department of marketing and sales talks with customers and potential clients to determine the services they require and what they will cost. The operations department then produces rail services that meet these requirements at the lowest price possible to earn money for railroad. The executive department oversees the entire operation, making sure every department is operating efficiently.

The government provides support to railways with a variety methods such as grants and subsidised rates on government-owned traffic. Congress also provides funds to support and build new track and stations. These subsidies are often in addition to the revenues railroads receive from tickets and freight contracts.

In the United States, the government has the passenger railway Amtrak. It is a quasi-public for-profit company, with the United States Government as a major stockholder.

The Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) main purpose is to create and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical state of trains and the health and safety of railroad employees. FRA also collects and analyzes data on rail safety in order to identify patterns and areas that might require improvement or more regulatory attention.

In addition to these fundamental functions, FRA works on various other projects aimed at improving the economy and security of railroad transportation in the United States. For example, the agency aims to reduce barriers that might hinder railroads' introduction of positive train control systems (PTC). PTC is a safety system that uses sensors and computers to stop a train automatically when it is too close to an vehicle or object.

History

The nation's first railroads were constructed in the 1820s and 1830s largely in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. The railroads increased industrialization and brought more food products to the market in these regions. This helped the country to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on imports from abroad, which in turn contributed to a stronger economic base.

In the latter part of the 19th century the railroad industry experienced a "Golden Age" in which new, more efficient raillines were built and passenger transportation became popular. The government's efforts in expanding the railroad system were a major factor. The government, for instance granted homesteaders land grants to encourage them to settle the West. Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads also collaborated to construct the first transcontinental railroad, which allowed travelers 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 transport like planes and cars increased in popularity. However, stifling regulations stifled railroads' economic ability to compete. A series of bankruptcies, service cuts and deferred maintenance followed. The misguided federal rail regulations contributed to the decline.

Around 1970 the federal government started to loosen the regulatory burdens on railroads. Surface Transportation Board was created to oversee economic matters such as railroad rates and mergers. The Federal Railroad Administration, which regulates freight and passenger transport and sets standards for rail safety, was also created.

Since then, the railroad infrastructure of the United America has seen a great deal of investment. The Northeast Corridor, for example was rebuilt to accommodate faster, more modern high speed ground transportation (HSGT) trains. There are also efforts to develop more efficient systems for freight rail. In the future, FRA hopes to continue its partnership with all transportation agencies in order to ensure the safety and reliability of railroads. The role of FRA is to ensure that the nation's transportation system operates as efficiently as possible.