15 Presents For The Federal Railroad Lover In Your Life
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 both people and goods.
FRA field inspectors inspect the railroad track, train control and signal systems, as well as operating practices. They also investigate complaints.
Definition
A federal railroad is a railway in the United States that is controlled by the federal government. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, develops and enforces regulations governing railways as well as manages funds from railroads and conducts research to improve the efficiency of rail transportation. The FRA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's intermodal transportation division, and its top officers are the Administrator and the Deputy Administrator.
The agency is responsible for all freight and passenger transport that uses the rail network of the United States. In addition the agency supports the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor rail passenger service and consolidates government support for rail transportation. The agency also regulates the 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 issues or issues. Additionally, the FRA establishes policies and conducts inspections in order to evaluate the compliance of its rail safety laws in six technical disciplines: track, signal 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 is operating in a safe, economic and sustainable way. As a result, the agency requires railroads to ensure the safety of their workers and provide the appropriate training to their employees. The agency also sets and enforces railroad prices to ensure that the public is billed fair prices for transportation services.
Additionally, the Federal Railroad Administration enacts and enforces rules to prevent discrimination against railroad workers, and protect whistleblowers from retaliation by railroad companies. The agency also sets up an avenue for railroad employees to make complaints regarding the conduct of their company.
The main goal of the FRA is to ensure safe, reliable and effective transportation of people and goods to ensure a secure America today and in the future. The FRA accomplishes this through overseeing the safety of railroads, regulating programs for assistance to railroads conducting research to help the improvement of safety for railroads and national rail transportation policies 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 very little competition. As a result, railroads often misused their position in the market. Therefore, Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission and other regulatory agencies to limit abuses by railroad monopolies.
Purpose
The federal railroad is a federal agency that sets regulations, manages funds for rail and researches 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 the ten agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding the existing railroad systems.
Safety is the government's main responsibility when it comes to rail transportation. The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for this. It has several divisions which oversee the country's freight and passenger rail operations. The Office of Railroad Safety is the largest with a staff of around 350. It is responsible for conducting safety inspections in six technical disciplines, including track, signal, and train control as well as motive and equipment, operating procedures, hazmat and highway-rail grade crosses.
FRA has additional departments which include the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This department oversees programs aimed to improve passenger and freight rail transportation, like the Northeast Corridor Future. This department also is responsible for grants that railways and works with other agencies to plan for the nation's rail needs.
Another important function of the FRA is the enforcement of federal laws regarding railroads and their employees. This includes stopping railroads from using their power to discriminate against workers and ensuring that injured railway employees are transported to the nearest hospital for treatment. It also prohibits railroads to deny or delay medical treatment for injured railway workers.
The FRA is the primary regulator for the freight and passenger rail industry, but other agencies oversee the economic aspects of rail transportation. The Surface Transportation Board, for example, is in charge of setting rates and managing the economics of the sector. It is the regulatory authority for railroad mergers, line-sales construction, and abandonment. After the public consultation period, the agency is also responsible for establishing regulations that allow anyone to file a complaint about any alleged rail safety violations.
Functions
Rails transport goods and people from and to cities in the developed world as also to villages in less developed countries. They transport raw materials from manufacturing and processing facilities, and final products from these facilities to warehouses or stores. Railroads are a critical form of transportation for many essential commodities, such as coal, oil, and grains. In 2020, freight railroads moved more than a quarter of all freight in the United States [PDF].
Federal railroads function like any other business with departments for marketing, sales, operations and an executive department. The department of marketing and sales works with potential and existing customers as well as clients to determine the services they need and what they will cost. The operations department then develops the rail services that meet those needs at the lowest cost to generate revenue for the railroad. The executive department supervises the entire operation, making sure every department is running smoothly.
The government helps the railways with a variety ways that include grants and subsidized rates on government-owned traffic. Congress also provides funds to build stations and tracks. These subsidies are usually in addition to the revenues the railroads earn from ticket sales and freight contracts.
In the United States, the government owns the passenger railway Amtrak. It is a quasi-public for-profit corporation, with the United States Government as a major stockholder.
A key function of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is establishing and enforcing safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical condition of trains and the safety and health of railroad employees. FRA also collects data on rail security to determine trends and areas that require improvement or attention from regulators and to track trends.
In addition to these core duties, FRA works on various other projects related to improving the security and economy of railway transportation in the United States. For instance, FRA is working to remove obstacles that might hinder railroads' implementation of positive train control systems (PTC). PTC is a safety technology that uses sensors and computers on board to stop a train at the moment it is too close to another object or vehicle.
History
The nation's first railroads were built in the 1820s and 1830s mostly in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. The railroads significantly accelerated the industrialization process in these areas, and also brought more food products to the market. This helped the country to become more self-sufficient and less dependent upon imports from abroad, which in turn contributed to a stronger economic base.
In the latter half of the nineteenth century the railroad industry went through a "Golden Age," during which many new trains that were more efficient were constructed, and passenger travel by train became more popular. The government's efforts in expanding the fela railroad settlements system were a major aspect. For instance, the government granted homesteaders land grants to encourage them to settle in the West. Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads also partnered 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 passenger rail services dwindled, while other modes of transport like planes and cars gained in popularity. However, stifling regulations hindered railroads' ability to compete. The industry was plagued by a succession of bankruptcy, service cuts, and deferred maintenance. In addition, misguided federal employers’ liability act railway regulation caused the demise of the industry.
Around 1970, the federal government began to ease the regulatory shackles on railroads. The Surface Transportation Board was established to oversee economic aspects of the industry, such as mergers and rates for railroads. The Federal fela claims railroad employees Administration was also established, which is responsible for establishing rail safety regulations and is one of the 10 agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation which oversees passenger and freight transportation.
Since then, the railway infrastructure of the United States has seen a significant amount of investment. 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 freight rail systems. In the future, FRA hopes to continue its collaboration with all transportation agencies to ensure the safety and reliability of railroads. It is the agency's job to help make sure that the transportation system of the United States operates as efficiently as it can.