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Federal Railroad Administration

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For other uses, see FRA.

Federal Railroad Administration
Agency overview
FormedApril 1, 1967; 57 years ago (1967-04-01)
JurisdictionUnited States Government
HeadquartersWashington, DC
Employees850
Annual budget$1.561 billion (2008)[1]
Agency executive
Parent agencyU.S. Department of Transportation
Websiterailroads.dot.gov Edit this at Wikidata

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966.[3] The purpose of the FRA is to promulgate and enforce rail safety regulations, administer railroad assistance programs, conduct research and development in support of improved railroad safety and national rail transportation policy, provide for the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor rail passenger service, and consolidate government support of rail transportation activities.[4]

The FRA is one of ten agencies within DOT concerned with intermodal transportation. It operates through seven divisions under the offices of the Administrator and Deputy Administrator. These divisions are Financial Management and Administration, Chief Counsel, Civil Rights, Public Affairs, Public Engagement, Railroad Policy and Development, and Safety. It has a staff of about 850.[5]

Function

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The FRA oversees both passenger (top) and freight (bottom) rail operations in the United States.
An FRA hazardous materials inspector examines outlet valves at the bottom of a tank car to ensure that they are properly tightened[6]

All passenger and freight rail travel in the United States on the national interconnected rail infrastructure is subject to regulation by the FRA. FRA regulates public and intercity rail services, but does not regulate "closed" railways that operate exclusively on private property, such as a rail system between buildings at a steel mill, nor does it regulate subways, light rail, or elevated intra-city passenger rail systems that do not connect to any public rail networks.[7] Most notably, the FRA enforces safety regulations, such as speed limits and requirements for safety features such as positive train control (PTC).[8] Non-legislative recommendations for FRA policy come from the Rail Safety Advisory Committee, established in 1996,[9] though much of FRA policy is created via congressional legislation; for example, the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 was an act of Congress, which the FRA enforced through a series of regulations published two years later.[10] These regulations include enforcement of PTC requirements and enforcement of more stringent conductor certification requirements.[11][12]

Passenger rail initiatives

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The FRA announced the availability of over $153 million in funding through the Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) Grant Program in 2024. This funding, provided under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is intended to support operating costs for new, restored, or enhanced intercity passenger rail services. The program aims to improve the quality and accessibility of passenger rail, encouraging a shift towards more sustainable transportation options.[13]

FRA Inspection Train in St. Johnsville, New York

21st century safety initiatives

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In 2011, the FRA began the process of updating its electronic device policy for active train operators.[14]

In June 2015, the FRA announced a railway safety initiative with Google that would include the FRA's GIS data in its mapping services. The data pinpoint the location of over 250,000 rail crossings in the United States. The FRA believes that providing the location of rail crossings on maps will enhance crossing safety for people who are using navigation systems while driving.[15][16] The agency also created a web portal for the public to report blocked crossings in order to collect data on the implication for safety and economy of stopped trains blocking crossings.[17][18]

Citing safety concerns, in 2016 the FRA proposed a rule to mandate train crew sizes[19] but the agency withdrew the rule in 2019 stating "that no regulation of train crew staffing is necessary or appropriate for railroad operations to be conducted safely at this time."[20] This was in part due to the improving safety record for rail and also the implementation of PTC across nearly 60,000 route miles of track.[21][22]

Following three recent derailments of long trains, the FRA in July 2023 started requiring Class 1 railroads to provide monthly data tracking train length and tonnage.[23] The specific concern is of trains with 1) more than 200 cars, 2) length of 12,250 feet or more, or 3) weight of more than 17,000 tons.

Freight safety

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The safety of rail freight transport has become an area of focus at the FRA, particularly as the industry uses longer trains. Over the past decade, the FRA reported significant improvements in rail safety because of the railroad industry's investments in infrastructure, technology, and training. For example, the overall train accident rate has decreased by 27% since 2000, and the rate of hazardous materials accidents has reached its lowest point ever, down 75% per carload since 2000.[24][25]

However, the increasing length of freight trains, some now stretching nearly three miles, has presented safety challenges. Issues such as the effectiveness of braking systems and the proper arrangement of train cars, known as "train makeup," are particularly critical in ensuring safe operations, especially under extreme conditions like steep grades or sharp curves. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recognized that the FRA is investigating the safety implications of longer trains, conducting system-wide safety audits, and issuing advisories to address potential risks.[26]

The FRA's ongoing efforts include collaborations with freight railroads to enhance safety through advanced technologies and stringent compliance with safety regulations. As freight rail operations continue to grow in complexity, both the FRA and railroad companies have worked on addressing new safety issues.[26][24]

Notable investigations

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The FRA played a significant role in investigating the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which occurred on February 3, 2023. The derailment involved a train carrying hazardous materials, and the FRA's investigation revealed that the primary cause was a failed journal bearing on one of the train's cars. The FRA also identified contributing factors, including inadequate communication protocols related to hotbox detectors and the use of general-purpose tank cars for transporting flammable liquids, which exacerbated the severity of the incident.[27][28][29]

In response to the derailment, the FRA initiated several enforcement cases and called for more stringent safety regulations, particularly concerning the placement and operation of wayside detectors designed to identify overheating bearings. The investigation highlighted the need for enhanced safety measures in the freight rail industry, leading the FRA to advocate for legislative changes and more rigorous oversight of rail operations.[27][30]

On July 23, 2024, FRA Administrator Amit Bose testified before a congressional hearing regarding the derailment. In his testimony, Bose emphasized the FRA's findings that the accident was caused by a failed roller bearing, compounded by inadequate communication and safety procedures within Norfolk Southern. He also called for stronger legislative action to enhance rail safety and criticized the railroad industry's resistance to adopting new safety measures, urging Congress to act swiftly to address these ongoing issues.[31]

List of administrators

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Image Name Year began Year end Appointed by
A. Scheffer Lang 1967 1969 Lyndon B. Johnson
Reginald Whitman 1969 1970 Richard Nixon
John W. Ingram 1971 1974 Richard Nixon
Asaph H. Hall 1974 1977 Richard Nixon
John M. Sullivan 1977 1981 Jimmy Carter
Robert W. Blanchette 1981 1983 Ronald Reagan
John H. Riley 1983 1989 Ronald Reagan
Gil Carmichael 1989 1993 George H. W. Bush
Jolene Molitoris 1993 2000 Bill Clinton
Allan Rutter 2001 2004 George W. Bush
Betty Monro (acting) 2004 2005 George W. Bush
Robert D. Jamison (acting) 2005 2005 George W. Bush
Joseph H. Boardman 2005 2008 George W. Bush
Clifford C. Eby (acting) 2008 2009 George W. Bush
Joe Szabo 2009 2015 Barack Obama
Sarah Feinberg 2015 2017 Barack Obama
Patrick T. Warren (acting) 2017 2017 Donald Trump
Heath Hall (acting) 2017 2018 Donald Trump
Juan Reyes (acting) 2018 2018 Donald Trump
Ronald Batory 2018 2021 Donald Trump
Amit Bose (acting)[32] 2021 2022 Joe Biden
Amit Bose 2022 Present Joe Biden

[33][34][35][36]

Northeast Corridor Future

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The FRA's Northeast Corridor (NEC) Future is a long-term plan aimed at improving the nation's Northeast Corridor.[37] The NEC Future plan consists of four components (also known as the Selective Alternative) that are: Improve rail service, Modernize NEC infrastructure, Expand rail capacity, and Study New Haven-to-Providence capacity. These four components all aim to improve the reliability and performance of the NEC system, whether it be through intercity or regional means.[38] The Selective Alternative looks to do four major things: Improve rail service by increasing frequency of trains, decreasing travel time, and making better passenger convenience; Modernize NEC infrastructure by having corridor-wide repair and replacing and fixing parts to bring the entire system to increased reliability; Expand rail capacity by adding new infrastructure between cities and increasing train speeds and capacity; and Study New Haven to Providence capacity.[39]

The NEC Future ROD (Record of Decision) was issued in July 2017, which marked the completion of the Tier 1 environmental review process. The ROD lays out everything involved with the project, including the plan itself and feedback from individuals, organizations, and stakeholders.[37] There is no listed completion date for the NEC Future and Selective Alternative.

National Rail Plan

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Background

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The need for an NRP was brought up in the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008. However, before the official plan could be drafted, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) required a Preliminary National Rail Plan (PNRP) to be made first, which was submitted to Congress on October 15, 2009. On December 16, 2009, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 was enacted into law and established the delivery date for the NRP. The delivery date for the NRP was September 15, 2010.[40]

The goal

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With the nation's infrastructure growing, the transportation used in the nation also needs to grow. With that in mind, the NRP's main goal is to increase the size of the nation's railway capacity to include 70 million more people and 2.8 billion tons more of freight within the next 25 years, and 100 million more people and 4 billion tons more of freight within the next 40 years. The NRP also looks to continue improving the rail systems safety.[41]

High-speed intercity travel

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Another one of the NRP's big goals is the introduction of a high-speed train made for intercity travel. These trains would be much faster than normal trains, ranging in speed from 125–250 mph (200–400 km/h), and capable of delivering a passenger 500 miles (800 km) in about 2–3 hours. In smaller, regional areas, the trains would not be as quick, only going somewhere between 90–125 mph (145–201 km/h). There are no set costs for this system, however. The FRA argues that the benefits a high-speed rail system would bring outweigh the costs for the system, claiming that the high-speed rail system would reduce car traffic and eliminate the need for short-haul flights. It would also reduce congestion in America's more populated regions and boost manufacturing activity.[41]

See also

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[edit]
  • DOTX-218 Gage Restraint Measurement Vehicle
    DOTX-218 Gage Restraint Measurement Vehicle
  • DOTX-218 and DOTX-220 behind a BNSF locomotive
    DOTX-218 and DOTX-220 behind a BNSF locomotive
  • DOTX-220 Track Geometry Car
    DOTX-220 Track Geometry Car

References

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  1. ^ "U.S. Department of Transportation Fiscal Year 2009 Budget In Brief". Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  2. ^ "Government Officials at the US Department of Transportation | US Department of Transportation". transportation.gov. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  3. ^ United States. Department of Transportation Act. 49 U.S.C. § 103, section 3(e)(1).
  4. ^ Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). "Federal Railroad Administration: About Us." Archived 2008-05-19 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Federal Railroad Administration (2010). Washington, DC."About the FRA." Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 2010-08-28.
  6. ^ Beaucham, Catherine C. (August 2023). "Evaluation of Potential Exposures to Railway Hazardous Material Inspectors" (PDF). U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Health Hazard Evaluation Report). Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  7. ^ In this article http://www.alexblock.net/blog/2015/10/06/wmata-the-ntsb-and-the-fra-or-what-do-you-mean-the-metro-doesnt-count-as-a-railroad/ Archived May 8, 2018, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved May 7, 2018), a subway or metro system that does not use infrastructure accessible from other networks, such as Washington DC's Metrorail system, the Chicago "L", or the New York City Subway, is not a "railroad" and FRA lacks jurisdiction over its operations.
  8. ^ "Railroad Safety". Federal Railroad Administration. United States Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  9. ^ "Railroad Safety Advisory Committee". Federal Railroad Administration. United States Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  10. ^ "Positive Train Control Systems". Federal Register. United States Office of the Federal Register. January 15, 2010. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  11. ^ "Positive Train Control". Federal Railroad Administration. United States Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  12. ^ "Conductor Certification". Federal Railroad Administration. United States Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  13. ^ "FRA Makes Available $153 Million in Funding to Initiate, Restore, and Enhance Intercity Passenger Rail Services". Federal Railroad Administration. July 12, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  14. ^ "Electronic Device Distraction". Federal Railroad Administration. United States Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  15. ^ "Google, FRA team up for safety; will add rail crossing data to maps". June 29, 2015. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  16. ^ Mouawad, Jad (June 29, 2015). "Agency Taps Mapping Technology to Curb Rail Crossing Accidents". New York Times. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  17. ^ "Blocked Crossings". fra.dot.gov. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  18. ^ "Blocked Crossing? FRA Wants to Know About It (and More)". Railway Age. June 14, 2022. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  19. ^ "Federal Register:: Request Access". unblock.federalregister.gov. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  20. ^ "Federal Register :: Request Access". unblock.federalregister.gov. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  21. ^ "FRA withdraws proposed minimum crew size rule | Trains Magazine". Trains. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  22. ^ "Rail News – FRA withdraws proposed train-crew staffing rule. For Railroad Career Professionals". Progressive Railroading. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  23. ^ "FRA seeks data on train length and tonnage from Class I roads". Trains. No. 10 Vol 83. Kalmbach. October 2023. p. 7.
  24. ^ a b "Freight Rail Safety Record". Association of American Railroads. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  25. ^ "FRA 2023 Data Affirms Rail's Strong, Sustained Safety Record". Association of American Railroads. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Freight Rail Safety—Potential Impacts of Longer Trains | U.S. GAO". U.S. Government Accountability Office. April 2, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  27. ^ a b "Accident Investigation Summary Report HQ-2023-1813". Federal Railroad Administration. July 19, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  28. ^ Bovenizer, Noah (July 23, 2024). "US FRA calls for more safety laws in final East Palestine report". Railway Technology. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  29. ^ "NTSB releases final report on East Palestine train derailment". Progressive Railroading. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  30. ^ Riley, Kim (June 26, 2024). "Norfolk Southern Blasted by Government: East Palestine Reeling from Crisis Management Failures". Transportation Today. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  31. ^ Bose, Amit (July 23, 2024). "Examining the State of Rail Safety in the Aftermath of the Derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Written Statement of Amit Bose, Administrator Federal Railroad Administration Before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials". U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  32. ^ "Amit Bose | US Department of Transportation". transportation.gov. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  33. ^ "Heads of Operating Administrations". United States Department of Transportation, Office of the Historian. Archived from the original on July 30, 2009. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  34. ^ "FRA Acting Administrator Named" Archived July 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, APTA:Passenger Transport Express, December 5, 2008, accessed December 8, 2008
  35. ^ "Joseph H. Boardman Begins Role as New Administrator for Federal Railroad Administration With Focus on Rail Safety and Intercity Passenger Rail Reform" (Press release). FRA. June 1, 2005. Archived from the original on October 28, 2005. Retrieved June 6, 2005.
  36. ^ Progressive Railroading (April 30, 2009). "Senate confirms Szabo's nomination as FRA administrator". Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  37. ^ a b "NEC Future". Federal Railroad Administration. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  38. ^ Reyes-Alicea, Rebecca (July 2017). "NEC Future: Record of Decision". Federal Railroad Administration. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  39. ^ "NEC Future: Selected Alternative Description". Federal Railroad Administration. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  40. ^ Rae, Karen (April 5, 2010). "National Rail Plan". Regulations.gov. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  41. ^ a b Federal Railroad Administration (September 20, 2010). "National Rail Plan Progress Report". Federal Railroad Administration. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
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