Federal Railroad Administration

The Federal Railroad Administration has lowered the gates on railroads looking to move to one-person crews.

A Norfolk Southern train derailed in Pennsylvania on Saturday amid an already heated battle over railroad safety issues. Here’s the latest.

The Federal Railroad Administration has proposed that rail car manufacturers certify that their rail cars were made in countries that haven’t been flagged by the U.S. government for national security concerns. Two trade groups representing rail equipment manufacturers support this measure.

The Federal Railroad Administration is providing over $8 billion in grants that will support two high-speed rail projects as well as capital improvements on existing rail corridors that carry both passenger rail and freight rail traffic.

Using technology to assess adverse weather impacts in real time and working with other railroads to adopt best practices were two of the Federal Railroad Administration’s recommendations.

The National Transportation Safety Board wants freight and passenger railroads to incorporate new technologies that boost the effectiveness of existing positive train control technologies.

The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded $16.4 billion to 25 passenger rail projects, many of which are in the busy Northeast corridor. Freight rail may also benefit from the projects.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen wants the Federal Railroad Administration to issue an emergency order prohibiting freight train lengths greater than 7,500 feet.

This AskWaves article looks at how a U.S. federal government shutdown would affect freight rail operations and proposed rail safety and economic rulemakings.

The Federal Railroad Administration’s CRISI program for rail infrastructure projects awarded a record $1.4 billion to 70 projects across the U.S.

Union Pacific is asking the Federal Railroad Administration for more details on the safety defects that federal inspectors reportedly found during focused inspections this summer.

Union Pacific plans to respond this week to concerns of Federal Railroad Administration Administrator Amit Bose that the railroad is being cavalier in ensuring its locomotives are safe.

The National Transportation Safety Board will focus on employee training methods and industry practices on clearance as it continues its investigation of an Aug. 6 conductor trainee fatality at a Maryland CSX rail yard.

The Association of American Railroads says a federal program in which employees can anonymously report safety concerns has the potential for misuse.

SMART-TD is telling freight train conductors and conductor trainees to take charge of their safety since the programs offered by railroads are lacking. This is following the recent deaths of two conductor trainees.

The Federal Railroad Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration separately released reports Wednesday on how Norfolk Southern can improve rail safety.

The Federal Railroad Administration wants more data on train lengths so that the agency can better assess what impact, if any, longer trains might have on operations.

Research and development initiatives in the freight rail industry should turn their focus on integrating systems that are typically siloed in railroad operations, sources tell FreightWaves.

BNSF is seeking a waiver from the Federal Railroad Administration to expand a brake health technology program, and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen supports the effort.

The Federal Railroad Administration is planning to expand its assessment of safety culture to include all of the Class I railroads, the agency’s head said recently.

The Federal Railroad Administration has doled out more than $570 million in funding for projects designed to reduce or eliminate highway-grade crossings.

Two regulations proposed by the Federal Railroad Administration call for freight railroads to create programs to certify train dispatchers and signal employees.

FRA has issued a safety advisory asking freight railroads to be aware of the operational adjustments that must be made when they deploy longer trains.

The way that trains are configured might have factored into the derailments of six Class I trains over the past two years, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

The Federal Railroad Administration is taking action on a proposed rule that would provide hazmat train crews with safety equipment that would protect them from breathing in hazardous fumes in the event of an accident.

The Natural Resources Defense Council wants the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Association to prohibit the transport of LNG by rail unless a company receives a special permit.

“While the Railway Safety Act of 2023 has potential, railroad workers are concerned with what is glaringly left out of the bill and what aspects are left to the DOT and FRA to draft, implement, and administer,” said Matt Weaver of Railroad Workers United.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration will conduct investigations into Norfolk Southern’s safety practices.

The Federal Railroad Administration collects a lot of data related to rail safety. What does that research show when it comes to the performance of the Class I railroads?

This AskWaves article describes the various stakeholders involved in regulating rail safety.

All seven Class I railroads have agreed to participate in a federal program in which workers can anonymously provide tips on operational conditions. The participation will complement existing internal programs at the railroads, says the Association of American Railroads.

The Federal Railroad Administration and a bipartisan group of five senators aim to show their responsiveness to rail safety concerns via new initiatives and proposed regulations.

The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a safety advisory that calls on railroads to evaluate their procedures for using and maintaining hot box detectors in light of the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment in Ohio.

Rail unions warn that revisions to a rule affecting railroad contract workers could be a step backward for safety.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and others have suggested the freight rail industry needs more regulation to ensure safe operations.

Union members are putting a spotlight on the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in Ohio, with the Transportation Trades Department calling for greater safety oversight from the Federal Railroad Administration.

Union Pacific’s proposed testing of one-person crews is on hold because the program can’t proceed without negotiations between the railroad and affected union members.

The U.S. Small Business Administration wants the Federal Railroad Administration to revise its analysis for the proposed train crew size rule, contending it “significantly understated” costs and the number of potentially affected businesses.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s report on precision scheduled railroading serves as a broad overview of how the freight rail industry has changed over the past decade.

Major U.S. railroads have pushed for years to eliminate the in-cab conductor role. But unions think the cost-cutting rule could undermine safety.

The Federal Railroad Administration heard starkly different opinions from some railroads and unions about whether the agency should mandate freight train crews of at least two people.

The U.S Government Accountability Office says the Federal Railroad Administration could do more to increase the participation of railroads in a program geared toward addressing the root causes of close calls in the workplace.

Norfolk Southern names new leaders to transportation and network operations team. BNSF and California passenger rail explore green technologies to power trains.

Thanks to a federal grant, the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University will be working with four other colleges to develop climate-resiliency strategies and tools for U.S. freight and passenger railroads.

In proposing a minimum train crew size of two members, FRA reverses its stance that crew size questions should be left to the railroads and the unions.

AskWaves looks at the many varied functions that the 56-year-old Federal Railroad Administration performs for passenger and freight rail.

Congressmen back calls from fertilizer and agricultural products shippers to improve freight rail service, plus news about a new federal grant program to eliminate railroad crossings and updates on CN and Canadian Pacific.

Union Pacific is seeking to extend its tests on wheel temperature detectors, but the Transportation Trades Department disagrees with the way UP wants to deploy the technology.

Federal regulators are deciding at what level should the U.S. allow the transportation of liquefied natural gas by rail. Some environmental groups oppose LNG by rail because of concerns about transporting highly flammable material.

The Federal Railroad Administration is now requiring the Class I railroads, Amtrak and commuter railroads to submit fatigue risk management plans annually to the agency.

The Federal Railroad Administration said Thursday that 46 projects across the U.S. have received more than $368 million in grants for rail-related infrastructure improvements.

The Federal Railroad Administration grant will be used to upgrade the intermodal rail yards at the Seagirt Marine Terminal.

U.S. freight railroads and a rail union disagree over what’s the best way to deploy enhanced track geometry inspections.

Two bills, one before the New York State Senate and another before the New York State Assembly, would require Class I and Class II railroads to have a minimum train crew size.

CSX, XPO Logistics and AIT Worldwide Logistics were among several companies to make sustainability announcements on Earth Day.

The Federal Railroad Administration has established a Climate Challenge initiative, which is targeting net-zero greenhouse gas emissions for the industry by 2050.

Democratic leaders urge the Federal Railroad Administration to act on worker fatigue, while the Port of Montreal’s new container terminal will be served by rail.

Amit Bose becomes the 15th head of the Federal Railroad Administration.

North American freight railroads can pursue sustainability that not only benefits customers but also the railroads’ bottom line, according to panelists at a Transportation Research Board session.

DOT wants to prepare for increased scrutiny as it gets ready to distribute half a trillion dollars in new infrastructure funds.

Rail-related provisions in the newly signed infrastructure bill span from federal grants to support infrastructure projects to studying the impacts of positive train control and train lengths.

The suspension would allow the July 2020 rule to be aligned with a separate and companion regulation currently being worked on by federal regulators.

News items detailing new facilities, new faces and an environmental nod.

The plan, which goes to 2055, seeks to restore and develop intercity passenger rail along four “cornerstone corridors.”

FRA Deputy Administrator Amit Bose testifies on crew size and LNG by rail at his nomination hearing.

The Association of American Railroads responds to regulator’s inquiry about supply chain congestion, while GoRail advocates for regulation supporting freight rail industry growth.

Truckers may be more likely to be involved in accidents at railroad crossings in the Phoenix area than anywhere else in the country.

Opposition to two-person crew legislation puts rail carriers’ economic interests ahead of the safety of the public and railroad workers.

President Joe Biden’s budget for the Federal Railroad Administration supports funding to rehabilitate Amtrak, expand passenger rail service and provide continued support to grant programs.

President Joe Biden’s regulatory policy shift has wide-ranging implications for shippers and carriers.

See why Freight Railroads are Separated Into Classes

This AskWaves article explains what Class I, Class II and Class III railroads are and why they exist.

The Biden administration is considering waiving the Jones Act in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline shutdown.

Tremelle Sykes allegedly filed false reports covering railyard companies in Dallas, Fort Worth, Garland, Cleburne, Gunter and Saginaw, Texas.

All commercial motor vehicles carrying hazardous materials must stop

A GAO report links accurate data collection to motor carrier costs.

A U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling Tuesday vacated the Federal Railroad Administration’s May 2019 order on train crew size, saying the agency didn’t conduct an adequate public review prior to the order.

DOT announces slate of 40 to the department’s leadership team as the Biden administration kicks into gear.

FRA announces the full implementation of PTC as well as interoperability among competing railroads.

Cybersecurity skills are among the gaps identified in GAO review of DOT’s workforce.

All 50 states plus the District of Columbia must now develop and implement safety measures for high-risk highway-rail grade crossings.

The new rule takes into account recent technological advancements and harmonizes U.S. regulations with Canada’s.

The Association of American Railroads recently laid out some issues that Amtrak, host railroads and the federal government must grapple with as they implement on-time performance metrics and standards for Amtrak.

Nearly 92% of the U.S. Class I rail network is interoperable and close to fulfilling the federal positive train control mandate by the Dec. 31 deadline, according to FRA data.

The rule defines performance and service metrics for Amtrak and it requires freight rail to meet an on-time performance standard.

The federal agency says the rule would reduce unnecessary costs and incentivize innovation while also improving rail safety.

Brad Hildebrand discussed Cargill’s reliance on dependable rail service during FreightWaves Last Mile Logistics Summit.

Alaska and South Dakota received $6.9 million in grants from the Federal Railroad Administration for rail-related projects.

The grants help localities, short lines and passenger railroads improve the safety and efficiency of their rail networks.

The Class I railroads update agencies on service issues; shippers use the opportunity to ask for data collection on first-mile and last-mile movements.

Railroads and union disagree over Federal Railroad Administration final rule enabling use of continuous rail inspection technology.

The Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Railroad Administration administrator seek answers about Class I rail performance, while labor groups question furlough-related actions.

Environmental groups and several states have filed lawsuits against regulation governing liquefied natural gas by rail over environmental and safety concerns.

The Class I’s have reached 100% compliance with three of the five categories required to reach full implementation.

The proposed rule seeks to require trains operating in Kansas to have at least two crew members in the front locomotive.

The Federal Railroad Administration and Volpe are in the middle of conducting a survey on how railroaders gather and share information about occupational safety.

The revisions encourage technology integration and encourage preventative measures, say some stakeholders.

The rule seeks to address Democrats’ concerns about the safety measures the railroads would take in transporting liquefied natural gas.

Freight railroads could see secondary benefits if projects improve a region’s network flow.

Labor groups praise bill’s contents but key freight rail group is “disappointed.”