The Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is among the 10 agencies of DOT that are responsible for intermodal transportation. Its mission is enabling the safe and reliable transportation of people and goods.
FRA field inspectors inspect the railroad track as well as train control and signal systems, as well as operating practices. They also investigate complaints.
Definition
Federal railroads are rail transporters 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 and regulates funds for railroads, and conducts research to improve the efficiency of rail transportation. The FRA is one of the 10 agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation that are concerned with 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. 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. In addition, the agency oversees the ownership and operation of all intermodal infrastructures such as tracks, right-of-way equipment real property, and 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 the procedure through which anyone can inform the Secretary of Homeland Security any railroad security problems or issues. The agency also establishes policies, conducts inspections, and assesses compliance with its rail laws in six different technical disciplines, including track signals, track and train control locomotive power and equipment; operating practices as well as hazmat and highway-rail grade intersections.
The agency is in charge of making sure that the railroad transportation system is operating in a safe, economical, and environmentally friendly way. fela attorneys demands that railroads to maintain a safe workplace and provide adequate training to their employees. Furthermore, the agency sets and regulates railroad rates to ensure that the public is receiving a fair rate for their transportation services.
The Federal Railroad Administration also enacts and enforces rules to prevent discrimination towards railroad employees. They also shield whistleblowers against retaliation from railroad companies. The agency also has a procedure by which railroad employees can make complaints about the actions of the company.
The main goal of the agency is to ensure the secure efficient, reliable, and secure transportation of goods and people to ensure a secure America today and into the future. The FRA accomplishes this through controlling safety of railroads, coordinating railroad assistance programs and conducting research that supports improved railroad safety and national rail transportation policy and coordination, as well as supporting the development of a rail network and assisting the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads were dominant in the market with little competition. The railroad industry abused its dominant position in the market as a result. Hence, Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission and other regulatory agencies to limit the abuses of railroad monopolies.
Purpose
The federal railroad is a government agency that sets regulations, manages funds for rail and studies ways to improve the nation's rail transportation system. It oversees both freight and passenger railroads and also manages the nation's railway infrastructure. It is one of ten agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding the existing railway systems.
The government's primary responsibility in the field of rail transportation is safety. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is responsible for this, and it has several 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 around 350 safety inspectors and is responsible for conducting inspections that determine the compliance with regulations in six technical disciplines that include track, signal and train control, motive power and equipment, operating practices as well as hazmat and highway rail grade crossings.
FRA has additional departments that include the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This department oversees programs aimed at enhancing passenger and freight railway transport, including the Northeast Corridor Future. The department also is responsible for grants that are given to railways and works with other agencies to plan for the nation's rail requirements.
The FRA also has a responsibility to enforce federal laws pertaining to railroads and their employees. This includes stopping railroads from discriminating against employees and ensuring that all injured railway employees are transported to the nearest hospital for initial aid treatment. It also prohibits railroads from denying or delaying medical treatment for injured railway employees.
The FRA is the main regulator of the rail passenger and freight industry, however other agencies oversee the economic aspects of rail transportation. Surface Transportation Board is responsible for determining rates and governing the economics of the industry. It also has the authority to regulate mergers in the railroad industry lines sales construction, and abandonment. Other responsibilities include establishing rules following an opportunity for public input, by which anyone may report alleged rail safety violations to the agency.
Functions
Railroads carry people and goods between cities in developed nations, as well as remote villages in less developed countries. They transport raw materials to manufacturing and processing factories, and then the final products from those facilities to warehouses and stores. Railroads are an essential mode of transportation for many vital commodities, such as coal, oil and grains. In 2020, freight rail moved more than a quarter of the country's total freight volume [PDF].
The federal railroad is managed just like other businesses. It has departments for marketing, operations, sales and an executive department. The marketing and sales department works with potential and existing customers as well as clients to determine what services they require and what they will cost. The operations department then develops rail services that meet these needs at the cheapest cost to make money for railroads. The executive department supervises the entire operation and makes sure that each department is running efficiently.
The government provides support to railways by a variety of ways such as grants and subsidised rates on government traffic. Congress also provides funds to help build new track and stations. These subsidies are usually in addition to the earnings the railroads receive from tickets 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.
The primary function of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is to develop and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical properties of trains as well as the health and safety of railroad employees. FRA also collects and analyzes data on rail safety to identify trends and areas that need improved or increased regulatory attention.
In addition to these primary duties, FRA works on various other projects that aim to improve the economy and security of railroad transportation in the United States. For instance, FRA, aims to reduce the obstacles that can hinder railroads in adopting positive train control (PTC). PTC is a safety technology that utilizes sensors and computers to stop a train automatically when it is too close to another object or vehicle.
History
In the 1820s-1830s, the first railroads in America were built, primarily in New England and Mid-Atlantic. The railroads increased industrialization and brought more food products to markets in these regions. This helped the country become more independent and less dependent on imports.
In the late 19th century, the railroad industry enjoyed an "Golden Age" that saw new, more efficient raillines were built and passenger travel became popular. This was largely because of the government's efforts to expand the railroad system. The government, for instance granted land grants to homesteaders to encourage them to move to the West. Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads also collaborated to build the first transcontinental railroad which allowed passengers to travel from New York City to San Francisco within six days.
However, in the first half of the 20th century, demand for passenger railroad services decreased and other modes of transport like airplanes and cars gained popularity, while the stifling of regulations hampered railroads in their ability to compete economically. A string of bankruptcies, delays in maintenance and service cuts was the next step. Misguided federal rail regulations also contributed to the decline.
Around 1970, federal government began loosening the regulatory restrictions on railroads. Surface Transportation Board was created to oversee economic aspects such as railroad rates and mergers. The Federal Railroad Administration was also created, which sets rail safety regulations and is among the 10 agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation that oversees freight and passenger transportation.
Since then, a great amount of money has been made in the country's railroad infrastructure. The Northeast Corridor has been rebuilt for instance, to accommodate more efficient and modern high-speed ground transportation (HSGT). There have also been efforts to develop more efficient systems for freight rail. In the future, FRA hopes to continue its collaboration with all transportation agencies to ensure safe and reliable railroads. The agency's role is to ensure that the nation's transportation system is running as efficiently as possible.