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The Federal Railroad Administration The Federal Railroad Administration is among the 10 agencies of the DOT that are responsible for intermodal transportation. Its purpose is to ensure the safe and reliable transportation of goods and people. FRA field inspectors inspect the railroad track signals, train control and track 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), which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, creates and enforces railway regulations, 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. Additionally the agency is also involved in the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor rail passenger service and consolidates the government's support for rail transportation activities. In addition, the agency oversees the operation and ownership of all intermodal facilities, such as tracks, right-of-way equipment and real property as well as rolling stock, and also provides the overall coordination of federal rail transportation programs. FRA's responsibilities also include establishing, through regulation and after an opportunity for comments, a procedure by which anyone can inform the Secretary of Homeland Security any railroad security issues or issues. In addition, the agency sets up policies and conducts inspections to determine the compliance with its rail safety regulations in six technical disciplines that include track, signal and train control, motive power and machinery operating practices, hazmat, and highway-rail grade crossings. The agency is charged with the responsibility of making sure the railroad transportation system is safe, efficient and sustainable. The agency also requires that railroads maintain a safe work environment and provide adequate training to their employees. Additionally, the agency establishes and enforces railroad rates to ensure that the public is receiving an equitable price for their transportation services. The Federal Railroad Administration also enacts and implements rules to prevent discrimination towards railroad employees. It also protects whistleblowers against retaliation from railroad carriers. The agency also has a procedure by which railroad employees can make complaints regarding the company's actions. The agency's primary mission is to enable the secure, reliable, and efficient movement of goods and people to ensure a secure America today and into the future. The FRA accomplishes this through regulating rail safety, managing programs for assistance to railroads conducting research in support of better safety of railroads and national transportation policy as well as coordinating the development of rail networks and assisting private companies manage railroads. In the past, railroads were essentially monopolies that had no competition. This meant that the industry often abused its position in the market. This is why Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission and other regulatory agencies to curb the abuses committed by railroad monopolies. Purpose Federal railroads are federal agencies that set rules, regulate funds for rail and conduct research to improve the rail system in the United America. It supervises freight and passenger railroads, and also manages the nation's railway infrastructure. It is one of 10 agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding the existing railroad infrastructure. The main responsibility of the federal government in the field of rail transportation is safety. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is in charge of this, and it has several divisions that manage the country's freight and passenger railway operations. The largest of them is the Office of Railroad Safety, which has approximately 350 safety inspectors and is responsible for conducting inspections to ensure compliance with the regulations in six technical disciplines: track, signal and train control, motive power and equipment, operating procedures as well as hazmat and highway rail grade crossings. FRA has additional departments which include the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This department is responsible for programs aimed at enhancing passenger and freight rail transport, such as the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is also in charge of the grants that railways and works with other agencies to develop plans for the nation's rail needs. Another important duty of the FRA is the enforcement of federal laws pertaining to railroads and their employees. This includes stopping railroads from discriminating against workers and ensuring that all injured railway employees receive transportation to the nearest hospital for initial aid treatment. Railroads are also prohibited from deny or delay medical treatment for injured railway workers. The FRA is the main regulator of the freight and passenger rail industries, however there are other agencies which manage the economic aspects of rail transportation. Surface Transportation Board is responsible for determining rates and governing economics in the sector. It is also the regulator for railroad mergers, line-sales, construction and abandonment. Other responsibilities include establishing a process through regulations, after a public input opportunity and participation, where anyone can complain about alleged safety violations to the agency. Functions Railroads transport goods and people to and from cities in the developed nations as also remote villages in less developed countries. They transport raw materials to processing and manufacturing factories, and the finished products from those factories to warehouses and stores. Railroads are an essential mode of transportation for many vital commodities, including oil, coal and grains. In 2020, freight rail transported more than a quarter of the nation's total freight volume [PDFThe PDF file contains. The federal railroad is managed like any other business. It has departments for marketing and sale, operations, and an executive department. The department of marketing and sales works with potential and current customers to determine the type of rail services they need and how much they will cost. The operations department then creates rail services that meet these needs at the cheapest cost to make money for railroads. The executive department oversees the entire operation, making sure each department is functioning efficiently. The government helps the railways with a variety methods, including grants and subsidized rates on government traffic. Congress also provides funds to help construct new tracks and stations. These subsidies are usually in addition to the revenues railroads receive from tickets and freight contracts. In the United States, the government owns the passenger railway Amtrak. It is a quasi-public, for-profit corporation with a large shareholder that is the United States government. The Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) primary function is to develop and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical conditions of trains, as well as the safety and health of railroad employees. FRA also gathers and analyzes data on rail safety to identify patterns and areas that might require more or better regulatory attention. In addition to these core functions, FRA works on various other projects aimed at improving the security and economy of railway transportation in the United States. For example, the agency is working to remove obstacles that might hinder railroads' implementation of positive train control systems (PTC). PTC is an emergency safety system that utilizes sensors and computers on board to stop the train automatically when it is too close to another vehicle or object. History The nation's first railroads were built in the 1820s and 1830s mostly in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. The railroads greatly accelerated industrialization in these areas, and also brought more food products to the market. This helped the country to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on imports from abroad, which resulted in a solid economic base. In the latter part of the 19th century the railroad industry experienced a “Golden Age” in which new, more efficient rail lines were built and passenger travel became popular. fela lawsuits in expanding the railroad system was an important reason. For example, the government gave land grants to homesteaders to encourage them to move to the West, and the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads worked together to complete the first transcontinental railroad, which allowed travel from New York to San Francisco in six days. In the first half century however, the demand for passenger rail services decreased, and other modes of transport like planes and cars became more popular. However, stifling regulations made it difficult for railroads to compete. The industry was plagued by a string of bankruptcy as well as service cuts and delayed maintenance. In addition, a misguided federal railway regulation led to the decline of the railroad industry. Around the year 1970 the federal government began to loosen the regulatory burdens 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, which regulates freight and passenger transport and sets standards for rail safety was also established. Since then, the infrastructure of the railroads 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 create more efficient freight rail. FRA hopes to continue to work with all transportation agencies to ensure reliable and safe rails in the future. It is the job of FRA to help make sure that the nation's transportation system operates as efficiently as possible.