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The Federal Railroad Administration The Federal Railroad Administration is among the 10 agencies of DOT that are responsible for intermodal transportation. Its mission is enabling the secure and reliable transportation of people and goods. FRA field inspectors regularly inspect railroad track, signal and train control 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. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) establishes and enforces safety regulations, administers railroad funding, and researches ways to improve the efficiency of rail transportation systems. The FRA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's intermodal transportation division, and its chief executives are the Administrator as well as the Deputy Administrator. The agency is responsible for all passenger and freight transport that is made possible by the railway network of the United States. The agency also consolidates the federal funding for rail transportation and assists in the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor passenger service. The agency also regulates the ownership and operation of intermodal facilities like tracks, rights of way equipment, real estate and rolling stock. It also oversees federal rail transportation programs. FRA's responsibilities also include establishing through regulation and following an opportunity for comments an procedure that anyone can inform the Secretary of Homeland Security any railroad security issues or deficiencies. Additionally, the FRA sets up policies and conducts inspections to determine the compliance with its rail safety laws 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 tasked with the responsibility to make sure the railroad transportation system is secure, economical, and environmentally friendly. The agency also demands that railroads maintain a safe work environment and provide adequate training to their employees. The agency also sets and enforces railroad prices to ensure that the public is billed fair prices for transportation services. The Federal Railroad Administration also enacts and implements rules to prevent discrimination towards railroad employees. They also shield whistleblowers from retaliation from railroad carriers. The agency also establishes an procedure through which railroad employees can make complaints about the actions of the company. The main goal of the agency is to enable the safe efficient, reliable, and secure transportation of goods and people to build a stronger America, now and in the future. The FRA accomplishes this by regulating rail safety, managing programs for assistance to railroads conducting research to support better safety of railroads and national transportation policy as well as coordinating the development of rail networks and helping the private industry manage railroads. In the past, railroads were large monopolies, with no competition. In the end, the industry frequently abused its position in the marketplace. This is why Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission and other regulatory agencies to prevent abuses by railroad monopolies. Purpose Federal railroads are government institutions that make rules, regulate rail funds and conduct research to improve the rail system in the United States. It supervises freight and passenger railroads and also manages the nation's railway infrastructure. It is one of ten agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is also responsible for maintaining and expanding the existing rail systems. The primary responsibility of the government in the railway industry is safety. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is in charge of this, and has several divisions that manage the country's freight and passenger railroad operations. The largest of these is the Office of Railroad Safety, with around 350 safety inspectors and is responsible for conducting inspections that determine compliance with regulations in six technical disciplines that include track signal and train control, motive power and equipment, operating procedures, hazmat and highway-rail grade crossings. FRA has several departments, such as the Office of Railroad Policy and Development. This department is responsible for programs aimed at enhancing passenger and freight railway transport, including the Northeast Corridor Future. This department is responsible for granting grants given to railways and works with other agencies in order to plan the nation's rail requirements. The FRA also has a duty to enforce federal laws related to railroads and their employees. This includes preventing railroads from discriminate against employees and making sure that railway workers injured are taken to the nearest hospital for treatment. The law also prohibits railroads from deny or delay medical treatment for injured railway workers. The FRA is the primary regulator of the passenger and freight rail industries, but there are other organizations that oversee the economic aspects of rail transportation. The Surface Transportation Board, for instance, is in charge of setting rates and governing the economics of the industry. It is also responsible for regulating railroad mergers, line sales construction, and abandonment. After the public consultation period the agency is accountable for establishing regulations that will allow anyone to report any suspected safety issues with rail. Functions Railroads transport goods and people between cities in developed nations as also remote villages in countries that are less developed. They transport raw materials from processing and manufacturing facilities, and finished products from these facilities to stores or warehouses. Rail is an essential mode of transportation for a range of essential commodities like grain, oil and coal. In 2020, freight rail carried over a quarter of the nation's total freight volumes [PDF(PDF). Federal railroads operate like any other business with departments for marketing, sales, operations and an executive department. The department of marketing and sales consults with customers and potential clients to determine the services they need and what they need to cost. The operations department then develops rail services that meet these needs at the lowest cost possible to generate revenue for railroads. The executive department supervises the entire operation, making sure every department is running smoothly. The government provides support to railways with a variety ways such as grants and subsidised rates for government traffic. Congress also provides funds to build stations and tracks. These subsidies are often added to the revenues that railroads receive through 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 stockholder, which is the United States government. A key purpose of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is to develop and enforce safety regulations for railroads. This includes regulating the mechanical properties of trains as well as the health and safety of railroad employees. FRA also gathers and analyzes data on rail safety to identify patterns and areas that might need improved or increased regulation. In addition to these primary functions, FRA works on various other projects related to improving the security and economy of railway transportation in the United States. For instance, the agency seeks to eliminate obstacles that might hinder railroads' implementation of positive train control systems (PTC). PTC is a safety technology that utilizes sensors and computers on board to stop a train at the moment it is too close to an object or vehicle. History In the 1820s-1830s, the first railroads in the United States were built, mostly in New England and Mid-Atlantic. Railroads helped speed up industrialization and brought more food items to market in these areas. This helped the country become more self-sufficient and less dependent on imports. In the 19th century's final years the railroad industry experienced a “Golden Age” that saw new, more efficient rail lines were constructed and passenger travel became popular. This was in large part due to the government's efforts to expand the railroad system. The government, for example 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 rail passenger services declined, and other modes of transportation like planes and cars became more popular. In the meantime, the stifling of regulation hindered railroads' ability to compete. The industry was plagued by a string of bankruptcy, service cuts, and delayed maintenance. The misguided federal rail regulations contributed to the decline. In the year 1970, the federal government began loosening the regulations governing railroads. The Surface Transportation Board was established to oversee the economic aspects of the industry, such as railroad rates and mergers. The Federal Railroad Administration was also established, which is responsible for establishing standards for rail safety and is one of the 10 agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation that supervises passenger and freight transportation. Since then, the railway infrastructure of the United States has seen a lot of investment. The Northeast Corridor has been rebuilt for instance, in order to accommodate faster and more modern high-speed ground transportation (HSGT). Efforts have also been made to develop more efficient freight rail systems. FRA hopes to continue to work with all transportation agencies to ensure safe and reliable rails in the near future. fela attorneys of FRA is to ensure that the nation's transportation system is running as efficiently as possible.