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 reliable transportation of goods and people.

FRA field inspectors regularly check railroad tracks, signals and train control systems, as well as operating practices. They also investigate complaints.

Definition

Federal railroads are rail carriers in the United States controlled by the federal government. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, develops and enforces regulations governing railways, administers railroad funds, and conducts research to improve railway transportation. The FRA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's intermodal transportation division and its chief officers are the Administrator and the Deputy Administrator.

The agency is responsible for all passenger and freight transport that is made possible by the railway system of the United States. In addition, the agency also supports the rehabilitation of the Northeast Corridor rail passenger service and consolidates the government's support for rail transportation activities. The agency also regulates the ownership and operation of intermodal facilities such as tracks, right of way, equipment, real estate, Fela lawyer and rolling stock. It also oversees federal rail transportation programs.

FRA's responsibilities include establishing through regulation, following an notice and comments are allowed the procedure by which anyone can submit a report to the Secretary of Homeland Security concerning railroad security problems or deficiencies. In addition, the agency sets up policies and conducts inspections to assess the compliance with its rail safety laws in six technical disciplines tracks signal and train control, motive power and equipment operating practices, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings.

The agency is responsible of ensuring that the railway transportation system is operated in a safe, economic, and environmentally friendly way. The agency also requires railroads to provide a safe working environment and provide adequate training to their employees. Additionally, the agency establishes and regulates railroad rates to ensure that the public gets fair prices for their transportation services.

In addition to that, the Federal Railroad Administration enacts and enforces regulations to prevent discrimination against railroad workers, and protect whistleblowers from retaliation by railroad carriers. The agency also establishes a complaint procedure for railroad employees to submit complaints about the company's conduct.

The main goal of the FRA is to ensure safe, reliable and efficient movement of goods and people for a stronger America now and in future. The FRA accomplishes this by regulating railroad safety, managing railroad assistance programs and conducting research that supports the improvement of safety for railroads and national rail transportation policy and coordination, as well as supporting the development of rail networks and assisting the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads dominated the market, with very little competition. The railroad industry was able to abuse its dominant position in the market as a result. Therefore, Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission and other regulatory agencies to prevent the abuses committed by railroad monopolies.

Purpose

The federal railroad is a government agency that establishes regulations, manages rail funds and studies ways to improve the nation's rail transportation system. It is responsible for both passenger and freight railroads, and also manages the nation's railway infrastructure. It is one of 10 agencies in the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding current railway infrastructure.

The main responsibility of the federal government in the railway industry is safety. The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for this. It has a variety of divisions that oversee the country's passenger and freight railway operations. The Office of Railroad Safety is the largest with approximately 350 inspectors. It is responsible for conducting safety inspections across six technical disciplines, which include track, signal, and train control as well as motive and equipment operating procedures, hazmat, and highway-rail grade crossings.

FRA has other departments which include the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This department is responsible for programs aimed to improve passenger and freight railway transport, including the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for grants given to railways and works with other agencies in order to plan the nation's railway requirements.

Another important duty of the FRA is the enforcement of federal laws that pertain to railroads and their employees. This includes stopping railroads from using their power to discriminate against workers and making sure that railway workers injured are taken to the nearest hospital to receive treatment. Additionally, railroads are prohibited from refusing or delaying medical care to injured railway employees.

The FRA is the primary regulator of the freight and passenger rail industry, however other agencies manage the economic aspects of rail transportation. Surface Transportation Board is responsible for setting rates and managing economics in the industry. It has regulatory authority over mergers in the railroad industry, line sales, construction and abandonment. Other responsibilities include establishing regulations following an opportunity for public input, Federal Employers by which anyone may submit complaints about rail safety violations to the agency.

Functions

Rails transport goods and people from and to cities in developed countries as also to villages in countries that are less developed. They transport raw materials to manufacturing and processing factories, and the finished products from those facilities to warehouses and stores. Railroads are an essential mode of transportation for a variety of essential commodities, such as coal, oil and grains. In 2020, freight railroads carried more than a quarter of all freight volume in the United States [PDF].

The federal railroad is run as a business. It has departments for marketing and operations, sale, and an executive department. The department of marketing and sales works with potential and current customers to determine the type of rail services they require and the amount they should cost. The operations department then creates the rail services that meet those needs at the lowest cost in order to earn money for the railroad. The executive department supervises the entire operation and ensures that every department is operating efficiently.

The government supports railways in a variety of ways, from grants to subsidized rates for shipping government traffic. Congress also offers funds to help construct new tracks and stations. These subsidy funds are often added to the revenues that railroads receive through tickets and freight contracts.

Amtrak is owned by the United States government. It is a quasi-public, for-profit corporation with a significant shareholder that is the United States government.

The Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) main task is to formulate and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical condition of trains, as well as the safety and health of railroad employees. FRA also analyzes and collects data on rail safety in order to identify trends and areas that need improved or increased regulation.

In addition to these primary duties, FRA works on various other projects related to improving the economy and security of railway transportation in the United States. For instance, FRA is working to eliminate barriers that could delay railroads in implementing positive train control (PTC). PTC is an emergency safety system that utilizes sensors and on-board computers to automatically stop the train when it is too close to a vehicle or object.

History

The first railroads in the United States were constructed in the 1820s and 1830s, largely in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. Railroads significantly accelerated industrialization in those areas, and also brought more food products to the market. This development allowed 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 nineteenth century the railroad industry was experiencing a "Golden Age," during which many new railway lines that were more efficient were built and passenger travel on train became more popular. The government's efforts in expanding the railroad system was an important aspect. For instance the government provided 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.

However in the early part of the 20th century, demand for passenger railroad services decreased and other modes of transport like automobiles and planes gained in popularity, while regulations hindered railroads' ability to compete economically. A series of bankruptcies, service cuts, and deferred maintenance were the result. In addition, misguided railroad regulations from the federal government led to the decline of the railroad industry.

In the year 1970, the federal authorities began to ease the regulatory restrictions on railroads. The Surface Transportation Board was established to oversee the economic aspects of the industry such as mergers and rates for railroads. The Federal Railroad Administration was also established to set rail safety regulations and is one of 10 agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation that oversees freight and passenger transportation.

Since then, a great amount of investment has been made in the nation'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 create more efficient systems for freight rail. FRA hopes to continue to work with all transportation agencies to ensure safe and reliable rails in the future. The agency's role is to ensure that the nation's transportation system is running as efficiently as is possible.