The Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is among the 10 agencies of the DOT that are accountable for intermodal transportation. Its goal is to facilitate the safe and reliable transportation of people and goods.
FRA field inspectors regularly 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 rules, oversees funds for railroads, and investigates 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 as well as the Deputy Administrator.
The agency oversees all freight and passenger transportation that is conducted through the nation's rail network. Additionally, the agency also supports the rehabilitation of the Northeast Corridor rail passenger service and consolidates government support for rail transportation activities. The agency also regulates ownership and operation of intermodal facilities, such as tracks, right of way, equipment, real estate and rolling stock. It also manages federal rail transportation programs.
FRA's responsibilities also include establishing, through regulation and after an opportunity for comments, a procedure by which anyone can notify the Secretary Homeland Security any railroad security problems or issues. In addition, the agency creates policies and conducts inspections to determine the compliance with its rail safety regulations in six technical disciplines that include track signal and train control, motive power and equipment operating practices, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.
The agency is tasked with the responsibility of making sure the rail transportation system is safe, efficient and environmentally sustainable. As a result, the agency requires railroads to provide an environment that is safe for 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 charged in a fair manner for transportation services.
The Federal Railroad Administration also enacts and implements rules to prevent discrimination against railroad employees. The agency also safeguards whistleblowers from retaliation by railroad carriers. The agency also establishes procedures for railroad employees can file complaints about the actions of the company.
The primary goal of the FRA is to facilitate the secure efficient, reliable, and secure movement of goods and people for a strong America today and into the future. The FRA accomplishes this by regulating railroad safety, managing railroad assistance programs and conducting research that supports improved railroad safety and national rail transportation policy, coordinating and supporting rail networking development and assisting the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads dominated the market, with very little competition. The railroad industry took advantage of its dominant position in the market, resulting in. Therefore, Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission and other regulatory agencies to limit the abuses of 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 transport system. It is responsible for the rail infrastructure of the United States and oversees freight and passenger railroads. It is one of 10 agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding current rail infrastructure.
The government's primary responsibility in the rail transportation industry is safety. The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for this. It has a number of divisions that supervise the country's passenger and freight railroad operations. The Office of Railroad Safety is the largest of these with approximately 350 inspectors. It is responsible for conducting safety inspections across six technical disciplines, including track signalling, and train control, motive and equipment, operating procedures, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.
FRA has other departments that include the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This department oversees programs aimed at improving freight and passenger rail transportation, like the Northeast Corridor Future. The department also is responsible for grants that railways and collaborates with other agencies in planning for the country's rail needs.
Another essential duty of the FRA is the enforcement of certain federal laws regarding railroads and their employees. This includes preventing railroads from discriminate against employees and ensuring that railway workers injured are taken to the nearest hospital to receive treatment. It also prohibits railroads to delay or refuse medical treatment for injured railway workers.
The FRA is the primary regulator of the passenger and freight rail industries, however there are other agencies that oversee the economic aspects of rail transport. Surface Transportation Board is responsible for determining rates and governing the economics of the industry. It is the regulatory authority for railroad mergers, line-sales, construction and abandonment. After the public consultation period the agency is responsible for establishing regulations that allow anyone to report any suspected safety issues with rail.
Functions
Railroads carry people and goods to and from cities in developed countries as also remote villages in less developed countries. They transport raw materials from processing and manufacturing facilities, and finished products from these facilities to warehouses or stores. Railroads are a critical form of transportation for a variety of essential products, including coal, oil, and grains. In 2020, freight railroads carried more than a quarter of the freight volume in the United States [PDF(PDF).
The federal railroad is managed just like other businesses. It has departments for marketing, sale, operations and an executive department. The department of marketing and sales works with potential and current customers to determine the kind of rail services they need and what those services should cost. The operations department then develops rail services that meet these needs at the lowest price possible to make money for railroads. The executive department oversees the entire operation and ensures that each department is running efficiently.
The government supports the railways with a variety means that include grants and subsidized rates for government-owned traffic. Congress also provides funds to help build new track and stations. These subsidies are usually in addition to the revenue railroads receive from tickets and freight contracts.
Amtrak is owned by the United States government. It is a quasi public for-profit company, with the United States Government as a major stockholder.
The Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) primary purpose is to create and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This involves regulating the mechanical condition of trains and the safety and health of railroad employees. FRA also analyzes and collects data on rail safety to identify trends and areas that require more or better regulation.
FRA also works on other projects that improve the safety and economy of railway transportation in the United States. The agency, for example, aims to reduce the obstacles that hinder railroads in adopting positive train control (PTC). PTC is a safety system that utilizes sensors and computers to stop a train in the event that it is too close to an vehicle or object.
History
In the 1820s-1830s the first railroads in America were built, mostly in New England and Mid-Atlantic. Railroads significantly accelerated industrialization in those areas and also brought more food to the market. This helped the country to become more self-sufficient and less dependent upon imports from abroad, which in turn helped to foster a strong economic base.
In the late 19th century the railroad industry experienced an "Golden Age" that saw new, more efficient raillines were built and passenger transportation became popular. The government's efforts to expand the railroad system was an important factor. For instance the government provided homesteaders land grants to encourage them to move to the West and the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads worked together to complete the first transcontinental railroad which made it possible to travel from New York to San Francisco in six days.
In the first half century, however the demand for rail passenger services dwindled, while other modes of transportation like planes and cars increased in popularity. In the meantime, the stifling of regulation stifled railroads' economic ability to compete. A string of bankruptcies, delays in maintenance and service cuts was the next step. Uninformed federal rail regulations also contributed to the decline.
In the year 1970 the federal government started to loosen the regulatory burdens on railroads. Surface Transportation Board was created to oversee economic issues like railroad rates and mergers. fela lawsuit settlements , which regulates freight and passenger transport and sets standards for rail safety was also established.
Since then, the railroad 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 create more efficient freight rail systems. FRA hopes to continue to work with all transportation agencies to ensure the safety and reliability of rails in the future. It is the responsibility of FRA to help make sure that the transportation system of the United States operates as efficiently as possible.