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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 goal is to facilitate the secure and reliable transportation of both people and goods. 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 the rail carriers in the United States controlled by the federal government. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, creates and enforces regulations for railways and regulates funds for 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 chief officers are the Administrator and the Deputy Administrator. The agency is responsible for all freight and passenger 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 support from the federal government 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 oversees federal rail transportation programs. The FRA's responsibilities are to establish through regulation, after opportunity for notice and comment, a process by anyone can make a complaint to the Secretary of Homeland Security concerning railroad security problems or deficiencies. The agency also develops guidelines, conducts inspections and reviews the compliance of its rail laws in six technical disciplines, which include track signal, track, and train control as well as motive power and equipment; operating practices as well as hazmat and highway-rail grade intersections. The agency is in charge of ensuring that the railroad transportation system operates in a safe, economical and sustainable way. The agency also requires that railroads maintain a safe work environment and provide adequate training for their employees. In addition, the agency sets and regulates railroad rates to ensure that the public receives fair prices for their transportation services. Additionally, the Federal Railroad Administration enacts and enforces regulations to prevent discrimination against railroad employees and protect whistleblowers from retaliation from railroad companies. The agency also establishes an avenue for railroad employees to submit complaints about the company's conduct. The primary goal of the agency is to ensure secure, reliable and efficient movement of goods and people to ensure a secure America both now and in the future. The FRA accomplishes this by regulating rail safety, managing railroad assistance programmes and conducting research to support improving safety in the railroad industry and national transportation policy as well as coordinating the development of rail networks and assisting the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads controlled the market with little competition. The railroad industry took advantage of its dominance in the market, resulting in. Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission, as and other regulatory agencies, to curb the monopolies' exploitation of railroads. Purpose Federal railroads are government agencies that establish regulations, manage rail funds and conduct research to improve rail transport in the United America. It is responsible for both freight and passenger railroads, and also manages the nation's railway infrastructure. It is one of the ten agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also tasked with maintaining and expanding existing railway systems, ensuring capacity of the rail industry to meet increasing demand for freight and travel, as well as providing leadership in national and regional system planning. The main responsibility of the federal government in the railway industry is safety. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is responsible for this, and has several divisions that manage the country's freight and passenger railroad operations. The Office of Railroad Safety is the largest of these with approximately 350 inspectors. It is responsible for conducting safety inspections in six different technical disciplines, including track, signalling, train control as well as motive and equipment operating procedures, hazmat, and highway-rail grade crossings. FRA has several departments, such as the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This oversees the programs that aim to improve freight and passenger rail transportation, such as the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for grants for railways and collaborates with other agencies to determine the nation's rail requirements. The FRA also has a duty to enforce federal laws pertaining to railroads and their employees. This includes preventing railroads from discriminating against employees, and making sure that all railway employees injured receive transportation to the nearest hospital for first aid treatment. The law also prohibits railroads from deny or delay medical treatment for injured railway employees. fela claims railroad employees is the primary regulator for the freight and passenger rail industry, however other agencies manage the economic aspects of rail transportation. The Surface Transportation Board, for example is responsible for setting rates and governing the financial aspects of the industry. It is the regulatory authority for railroad mergers, line-sales construction, and abandonment. Other responsibilities include establishing regulations after a public input opportunity and participation, where anyone can report alleged rail safety violations to the agency. Functions Railroads carry people and goods to and from cities in the developed countries as and remote villages in countries that are less developed. They transport raw materials from processing and manufacturing facilities, and finished products from these facilities to warehouses or stores. Rail is a crucial mode of transportation for a range of essential commodities including grains, oil and coal. In 2020, freight railroads moved more than a quarter of all freight in the United America [PDF]. Federal railroads function like any other business, with departments for marketing, operations, sales and an executive department. The marketing and sales department works with current and potential customers to determine the kind of rail services they need and what those services should cost. The operations department then creates the rail services that satisfy those requirements at the cheapest cost in order to earn money for the railroad. The executive department is responsible for the entire operation, ensuring that every department is running smoothly. The government provides support to railways in a variety of ways including grants, to subsidised rates for shipping government traffic. Congress also provides funds to help build new stations and tracks. These subsidies are often added to the money that railroads earn through tickets and freight contracts. Amtrak is owned by the United States government. 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 state of trains, as well as the health and safety of railroad employees. FRA also gathers and analyzes information on rail safety to identify patterns and areas that might need improved or increased regulatory attention. In addition to these primary duties, FRA works on various other projects that aim to improve the economy and security of railway transportation in the United States. The agency, for example seeks to lower the barriers that could delay railroads in implementing positive train control (PTC). PTC is an emergency safety system that utilizes sensors and computers on board to stop the train automatically when it gets too close to another vehicle or other object. History The nation's first railroads were constructed in the 1820s and 1830s, largely in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. Railroads helped speed up industrialization and brought more food to markets in these regions. This allowed 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” that saw new, more efficient raillines were built and passenger transportation became popular. This was in large part due to the government's efforts to expand the railroad system. The government, for instance provided land grants to homesteaders to encourage them to move to the West. Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads also collaborated to build the first transcontinental railway, which allowed travelers to travel from New York City to San Francisco within six days. In the first half century however the demand for rail passenger services decreased, and other modes of transport such as cars and planes increased in popularity. However, stifling regulations stifled railroads' economic ability to compete. A series of bankruptcies, service cuts, and deferred maintenance were the result. Uninformed federal rail regulations also contributed to the decline. In the year 1970, the federal government began to loosen the restrictions on railroads' regulatory requirements. The Surface Transportation Board was established to oversee economic aspects of the industry, such as mergers and railroad rates. The Federal Railroad Administration, which regulates freight and passenger transport and sets safety standards for rail was also established. Since then, a significant amount of investment has been made in the nation's railway infrastructure. The Northeast Corridor, for example was rebuilt to accommodate faster, more modern high speed ground transportation (HSGT) trains. Efforts have also been made to improve the efficiency of freight rail systems. In the future, FRA hopes to continue its partnership with all transportation agencies in order to ensure the safety and reliability of railroads. The agency's role is to ensure that the nation's transportation system operates as efficiently as it can.