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 movement of people and goods.
FRA field inspectors routinely inspect railroad tracks, signals and train control systems as well as operating procedures. They also investigate complaints.
Definition
A federal railroad is a railway in the United States that is controlled by the government. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) establishes and enforces safety regulations, administers railroad funding, and researches ways to improve the efficiency of rail transportation systems. The FRA is one of 10 agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation which is responsible for intermodal transportation. Its chief executive officers are the Administrator and Deputy Administrator.
The agency supervises all freight and passenger transportation that utilizes the nation's railway network. In addition the agency is also involved in the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor rail passenger service and consolidates support from the federal government for rail transportation activities. The agency also regulates ownership and operation of intermodal facilities, like tracks, rights of way, equipment, real estate, and rolling stock. It also oversees federal rail transportation programs.
The FRA's duties include establishing, through regulation, after opportunity for notice and comment the procedure by which anyone can submit a submit a report to the Secretary of Homeland Security concerning railroad security problems or shortcomings. In addition, the agency creates policies and conducts inspections to determine compliance with its rail safety laws in six technical disciplines tracks signals and train control, motive power and machinery, operating practices, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.
The agency has the responsibility of ensuring that the railroad transportation system operates in a safe, economical and sustainable manner. The agency also demands that railroads to provide a safe working environment and provide adequate training for their employees. Additionally, the agency establishes and regulates railroad rates to ensure that the public receives a fair rate for their transportation services.
The Federal Railroad Administration also enacts and enforces rules to prevent discrimination against railroad employees. It also protects whistleblowers from retaliation by railroad companies. The agency also establishes a procedure by which 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 transportation of goods and people to build a stronger America both now and in the future. The FRA accomplishes this by overseeing the safety of railroads, regulating programs for assistance to railroads conducting research to help improved railroad safety and national rail transportation policy and coordination, as well as supporting rail networking development, and helping the private sector manage railroads. In fela attorneys , railroads were essentially monopolies that had no competition. This meant that the industry frequently abused its position in the market. Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission, as along with other regulatory agencies, to curb the monopolies' exploitation of railroads.
Purpose
Federal railroads are government agencies that set rules, regulate funds for rail and conduct research to improve the rail system in the United States. It operates the railroad infrastructure of the United States and manages freight and passenger railroads. It is one of the 10 agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding the current rail infrastructure.
The primary responsibility of the government 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 railway operations. The largest of these is the Office of Railroad Safety, which has around 350 safety inspectors and is responsible for conducting inspections that determine compliance with regulations in six technical disciplines: track signals, train control, motive power and equipment, operating procedures hazardous materials and highway-rail grade crossings.
FRA has several departments, such as the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This department oversees programs that aim at improving freight and passenger rail transport, such as the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for the grants given to railways and works with other agencies in order to determine the nation's rail requirements.
Another important duty of the FRA is the enforcement of federal laws regarding railroads and their employees. This includes stopping railroads from discriminating against employees, and making sure that all injured railway employees are provided with transportation to the nearest hospital for initial aid treatment. The law also prohibits railroads from delay or deny medical treatment for injured railway workers.
The FRA is the main regulator of the passenger and freight rail industries, however there are other agencies which manage the economic aspects of rail transportation. The Surface Transportation Board, for instance is responsible for setting rates and governing the economics of the industry. It has regulatory authority over mergers in the railroad industry and line sales construction and abandonment. After a period of public consultation, the agency is also responsible for establishing rules that will allow anyone to file a complaint about any alleged rail safety violations.
Functions
Railroads transport people and goods to and from cities in developed countries as well as remote villages in countries that are less developed. They transport raw materials from manufacturing and processing facilities, and finished products from these facilities to warehouses or stores. Railroads are a vital mode of transportation for many vital commodities, including coal, oil and grains. In 2020, freight rail transported over a quarter of the nation's total freight volume [PDF].
Federal railroads function just like any other company with departments for marketing and operations, sales, and an executive department. The department for marketing and sales consults with customers and potential clients to determine what services they need and what they will cost. The operations department then creates rail services that meet these needs at the cheapest cost to generate revenue for railroads. The executive department supervises the entire operation and ensures that each department is operating efficiently.
The government helps the railways through a variety of means such as grants and subsidised rates on government traffic. Congress also provides money to help build and maintain stations and tracks. These subsidies are often added to the revenues that railroads receive through ticket sales 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) main purpose is to create and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical state of trains as well as the health and safety of railroad employees. FRA also collects data on rail security to identify trends, areas that need improvement or attention from regulators and to track trends.
In addition to these core functions, FRA works on various other projects that aim to improve the economy and security of railroad transportation in the United States. For instance, the agency aims to reduce barriers that could delay railroads' implementation of positive train control systems (PTC). PTC is a safety system that uses sensors and computers on board to stop the train when it gets too close to another vehicle or other object.
History
The nation's first railroads were constructed in the 1820s and 1830s mostly in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. The railroads greatly accelerated industrialization in those areas and also brought more food items to the market. This helped the country become more self-sufficient and less dependent on imports.
In the 19th century's final years, the railroad industry enjoyed an "Golden Age" in which new, more efficient rail lines were built and passenger travel became popular. The government's efforts in expanding the railroad system were a major aspect. For example the government offered homesteaders land grants to encourage them to move to the West, and the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads collaborated to build the first transcontinental railroad, which made it possible to travel from New York to San Francisco in just six days.
In the first half century however the demand for passenger rail services dwindled, while other modes of transportation like planes and automobiles gained in popularity. Meanwhile, stifling regulation stifled railroads' economic ability to compete. The industry was plagued by a series of bankruptcy as well as service cuts and delayed maintenance. The misguided federal rail regulations contributed to the decline.
Around the year 1970, the federal government began to loosen the regulations governing railroads. Surface Transportation Board was created to oversee economic issues such as railroad rates and mergers. The Federal Railroad Administration was also created, which sets rail safety regulations and is one of the 10 agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation that oversees freight and passenger transportation.
Since then, the railway infrastructure of the United America has seen a great deal of investment. The Northeast Corridor, for example has been renovated to accommodate more efficient, faster and modern high speed ground transportation (HSGT) trains. There have also been efforts to develop more efficient freight rail. In the future, FRA hopes to continue its relationship with all transportation agencies in order to ensure the safety and reliability of railroads. FRA's mission is to ensure that the nation's transport system is running as efficiently as is possible.