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The Federal Railroad Administration The Federal Railroad Administration is among the 10 agencies of DOT which are responsible for intermodal transportation. Its goal is to facilitate the safe and reliable transportation of both people and goods. FRA field inspectors regularly check railroad track, signal and train control 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 government. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is responsible for the creation and enforcement of railway safety regulations, administers railway funding, and studies ways to improve rail transportation systems. The FRA is one of the 10 agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation which is responsible for intermodal transportation. Its chief executive officers are the Administrator and 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 supports the rehabilitation of the Northeast Corridor rail passenger service and consolidates the government's support for rail transportation. The agency also regulates ownership and operation of intermodal facilities, like tracks, rights of way, equipment, real estate and rolling stock. It also coordinates federal rail transportation programs. FRA's duties also include establishing through regulation, and after an opportunity for comment an procedure that anyone can report to the Secretary Homeland Security any railroad security problems or deficiencies. In addition, the agency establishes policies and conducts inspections to determine the compliance of 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 has the responsibility of making sure that the railroad transportation system is operated in a safe, economical and sustainable manner. This is why the agency requires railroads to provide the safety of their workers and provide the appropriate training to their employees. The agency also determines and enforces the cost of railroad services to ensure that the public is billed fair prices for transportation services. In addition, the Federal Railroad Administration enacts and enforces regulations to prevent discrimination against railroad employees, as well as protects whistleblowers from being retaliated against by railroad companies. The agency also has a procedure for railroad employees to submit complaints regarding the conduct of their company. The main goal of the agency is to ensure the secure, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods to ensure a secure America both now and in the future. The FRA accomplishes this through controlling rail safety, coordinating programs to assist railroads and conducting research in support of improving safety in the railroad industry and national transportation policy and coordinating the development of rail networks and assisting the private sector manage railroads. In the past, railroads were dominant in the market with no competition. As a result, the industry often abused its position in the marketplace. Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission, as well as other regulatory agencies, to limit railroad monopolies' abuses. Purpose Federal railroads are government-owned agencies that establish rules, regulate funds for rail and conduct research to improve rail transportation in the United States. It operates the railroad infrastructure of the United States and manages freight and passenger railroads. It is one of 10 agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding current rail systems, ensuring the ability of the rail industry to meet increasing demand for freight and travel as well as providing leadership in national and regional system planning. The government's primary responsibility in the railway industry is safety. The Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for this. It has a number of divisions that supervise the country's passenger and freight rail operations. The most important of these is the Office of Railroad Safety, with around 350 safety inspectors and is responsible for conducting inspections to determine the compliance with regulations in six technical disciplines that include track, signal and train control, motive power and equipment, operating procedures hazardous materials and highway-rail grade crossings. FRA has several departments, including the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This oversees the programs designed to improve passenger and freight railway transportation, including the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for the grants given to railways and works with other agencies to determine the nation's rail requirements. The FRA also has a responsibility to enforce federal laws pertaining to railroads and their employees. This includes preventing railroads from discriminating against employees, and making sure that injured railway workers receive transportation to the nearest hospital for initial aid treatment. It also prohibits railroads from denying or delaying medical treatment for injured railway employees. The FRA is the primary regulator for the passenger and freight rail industry, but other organizations oversee the economic aspects of rail transportation. Surface Transportation Board is responsible for setting rates and managing economics in the sector. It also has the authority to regulate mergers in the railroad industry lines sales construction and abandonment. Other responsibilities include the establishment of a process through regulations, after opportunity for public input that allows anyone to complain about alleged safety violations to the agency. Functions Railroads carry people and goods to and from cities in the developed nations as also remote villages in countries that are less developed. They transport raw materials from manufacturing and processing facilities, and finished products from these facilities to stores or warehouses. Railroads are a critical form of transportation for many essential commodities, such as coal, oil, and grains. In 2020, freight railroads transported more than a quarter of the freight volumes in the United States [PDF(PDF). The federal railroad is run just like other businesses. It has departments for marketing and operations, sales, and an executive department. The department of marketing and sales works with current and potential customers to determine what kind of rail services they need and how much they will cost. The operations department then produces the rail services that meet those requirements at the cheapest cost to generate revenue for the railroad. The executive department supervises the entire operation and makes sure that each department is running efficiently. The government helps the railways through a variety of means that include grants and subsidized rates on government traffic. Congress also provides funds to help build and maintain stations and tracks. These subsidies are usually in addition to the revenues the railroads receive from tickets and freight contracts. In the United States, the government is the owner of the passenger railway Amtrak. It is a quasi public for-profit corporation, which has the United States Government as a major stockholder. The primary role of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is establishing and enforcing safety regulations for railroads. This involves regulating the mechanical condition of trains and the health and safety of railroad employees. FRA also analyzes and collects information on rail safety to identify trends and areas that may require improvement or more regulatory attention. FRA also works on other projects that improve the economy and safety of railroad transportation in the United States. For instance, the agency is working to eliminate obstacles that can hinder railroads in adopting positive train control (PTC). PTC is a safety system that uses sensors and computers to stop a train in the event that it is too close to an vehicle or object. History In the 1820s-1830s the first railroads in the United States were constructed, mostly in New England and Mid-Atlantic. The railroads significantly accelerated the industrialization process in these areas and also brought more food items to the market. This allowed the country become more self-sufficient and less dependent on imports. In the late 19th century the railroad industry experienced the benefits of a “Golden Age” that saw new, more efficient rail lines were constructed and passenger travel became popular. This was largely due to the government's efforts to expand the railroad system. For instance, the government granted land grants to homesteaders to encourage them to settle the West. Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads also collaborated to build the first transcontinental railroad, which allowed passengers 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 automobiles gained in popularity. In the meantime, the stifling of regulation hindered railroads' ability to compete. The industry was plagued by a succession of bankruptcy, service cuts, and delayed maintenance. In addition, a misguided federal railway regulations led to the decline of the railroad industry. Around fela claims , the federal government began to loosen the regulations governing railroads. The Surface Transportation Board was established to oversee the economic aspects of the industry such as mergers and railroad rates. The Federal Railroad Administration, which regulates freight and passenger transport and sets standards for rail safety was also established. Since then, a large deal of investment has been made in the country's railroad infrastructure. The Northeast Corridor has been rebuilt, for instance, to allow for faster and more modern high-speed ground transportation (HSGT). There have also been efforts to develop more efficient freight rail. FRA hopes to continue to work with all transportation agencies to ensure the safety and reliability of rails in the future. It is the job of FRA to ensure that the nation's transportation system operates as efficiently as it can.