Federal Railroad Administration

02/05/2023

Trains can be quieter than you think. Lower your music when near tracks or at a grade crossing. https://bit.ly/3kHpiGh

02/04/2023

: Remember when walking pets to keep them safe and only use designated walkways.

02/03/2023

: Supervisory Railroad Safety Specialist Darius Mack in FRA District 5 (Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas) joined the agency in March 2012, as a Railroad Safety Inspector. Prior to joining FRA, he used the talents and skills in transportation and logistics that he acquired in the U.S. Air Force, to serve at BNSF Railway from 2005 to 2012 as a Supervisor of Engineering Support, Roadmaster, and Supervisor of Hub Operations.

Darius is in the process of hiring new inspectors, and along with his colleagues, he is making strides to diversify FRA’s workforce. “Improving safety is something that my team and I are very passionate about and being able to identify safety issues and prevent future accidents is very rewarding,” says Darius.

As derailment occurrences and severities are reduced each year, it encourages his team to make even more of an impact for the upcoming year. Darius says, “I am passionate about Roadway Worker safety. I feel personally connected to them and hope to do all in my power to help improve safety in the industry.”

When he is not keeping his fitness intact with cycling, Darius enjoys taking on DIY projects around his home.

02/02/2023

: In an FRA-funded study, the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) explored the development and status of the Improved (or Integrated) Freight Car Truck (IFCT) over the past 30-40 years. The classic trade-off in rail car truck design is the balance between high-speed stability performance and curving performance, but optimum interaxle shear stiffness can benefit both performance areas. Read the Technical Report here: https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/improved-railroad-freight-car-truck-performance-and-safety-phase-1.

02/01/2023

February is Black History Month, and all month long we’re celebrating Black excellence by highlighting Black leaders who’ve made outsized contributions to America’s transportation systems.

02/01/2023

, the blue and white Emergency Notification System sign posted at a highway-rail grade crossing is the quickest and most efficient way to notify the railroad by phone that your team is on the scene of an emergency. See more resources for Law Enforcement and First Responders including videos on investigating train-vehicle collisions and how to rescue and extricate train crews from locomotives in an emergency here: https://bit.ly/3QfJNnL

02/01/2023

Biden to announce $292 million for Hudson rail tunnel project

Biden to announce $292 million for Hudson rail tunnel project

Biden is visiting the city Tuesday.

01/31/2023

: Which is NOT a type of freight rail car? A. Box; B. Hopper; C. Model; D. Tank

01/31/2023

President Biden Announces First of its Kind Infrastructure Investment for Nine Nationally Significant Mega Projects | US Department of Transportation

President Biden Announces First of its Kind Infrastructure Investment for Nine Nationally Significant Mega Projects | US Department of Transportation

New Mega Grant program, created by the President’s infrastructure law will bring massive economic benefits to communities across the nation.

01/30/2023

: , you can find more information here:
https://railroads.dot.gov/divisions/partnerships-programs/back2basics

01/29/2023

Time to Wait

You are worth the wait. Remember, a train always has the right of way. ()

Operation Lifesaver, Inc.'s video, "Time to Wait," is aimed at males 18-35. The 1-minute video warns against driver impatience at crossings and includes…

01/28/2023

: Never assume a rail line is inactive. A train may come at any time.

01/27/2023

Homepage

Last October we launched an Amtrak Long-Distance Service Study. Section 22214 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law mandates that FRA evaluate the restoration of daily intercity rail passenger service along Amtrak long-distance routes that were discontinued and that occur on a nondaily basis, as well as evaluating any potential new Amtrak long-distance routes. You can learn more here:

Federal Railroad Administration Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is conducting an Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study to evaluate the restoration of daily long-distance intercity rail passenger service and the potential for new Amtrak long-dista...

01/26/2023

: The goal of this project was to evaluate lateral ballast behavior and how mechanics-based track geometry deterioration models forecast field behavior. It recommends updates to models allowing inputs to align with outputs from inspection technologies that are either currently in use or in development. The updated model(s) will be used to help develop indicators of track reliability and potentially identify locations of high risk of degradation or failure. Read the Technical Report here: https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/relationship-inspection-methods-ballast-degradation-models-phase-i.

01/26/2023

Have you downloaded our Rail Crossing Locator app? It allows users to easily geo-locate crossings by map, USDOT Crossing ID, or address; access inventory records submitted by states and railroads; and view accident history. This app empowers citizens and first responders to help further improve grade crossing safety by reporting non-emergencies. Now available for Apple iOS and Android devices.

01/25/2023

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allows the FRA to vastly expand funding opportunities and resources for the rail industry. We want passenger and freight rail to reap the benefits of this historic investment. We created an online Grants Decision Tool to help various entities find the right FRA discretionary grant for their rail projects: https://www.fra.dot.gov/grantstool/

01/24/2023

: Rail transport accounts for approximately __% of U.S. freight movement by ton-miles.
A-15
B-28
C-43
D-92

01/24/2023

During yesterday’s Multi-Modal National Grade Crossing Summit Webinar led by Office of Railroad Safety Director of Outreach Programs and Engagement Mike Long. FRA’s Grade Crossing and Trespasser Outreach Division Staff Director James Payne demonstrated the recent enhancements to our Blocked Crossing Incident Reporter web portal to several hundred stakeholders. FRA Administrator Amit Bose emphasized that new opportunities are available for communities to build better and decrease highway-rail grade crossings altogether including the use of technology, partnerships, and the new Railroad Crossing Elimination Program established under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. If you experienced a block crossing in the last 7 days, please let us know using the portal: https://www.fra.dot.gov/blockedcrossings/

01/23/2023

: The Key: , you can find more information here:
https://railroads.dot.gov/divisions/partnerships-programs/back2basics

01/22/2023

ENS Safety Steps

Ensure you know all the safety steps in the event you encounter an emergency at a grade crossing:

01/21/2023

: Winter may cause unavoidable mishaps to your vehicle, like slips on black ice. After getting to safety, remember to look for the ENS sign at every grade crossing and call for help.

01/20/2023

: FRA Mechanical Engineer & Steam Locomotive Specialist Harold “Harry” Weisinger and FRA District 6 Inspector, Mike Smith performed an annual inspection of Union Pacific’s famous Big Boy 4014 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. These inspections assess the condition of the vintage locomotive for its upcoming year of operation.

The 4014 is largest and heaviest steam locomotive ever built. Weisinger said, “If you asked any steam train enthusiast which locomotive is King of the Rails, they’d say Big Boy.” Some members of the public are lucky enough to see Big Boy 4014 on one of its trips around the country!

01/19/2023

: What happens when a liquified natural gas rail storage tank is exposed to fire conditions? sponsored a study by the Southwest Research Institute to evaluate the fire performance of an alternative fuel storage tank. The objective of this project was to observe the performance of the pressure relief valve (PRV) system. Read the Research Results Report here: https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/fire-test-un-t75-portable-tank-flat-car-phase-ii

01/18/2023

*VIRTUAL CAREER FAIR* We have numerous job openings and are looking for qualified candidates. Be sure to register for next Wednesday’s event:
https://www.careereco.com/Fair/EventDetails?fairId=5bc9dffa-4716-4bdd-8f50-af7a0154d445 (U.S. Department of Transportation)

01/17/2023

: Rail___ prevent rail from shifting longitudinally or lengthwise. A-Anchors; B-Frogs; C-Spikes; D-Tie Plates

The answer is A-Anchors

01/16/2023

A message from FRA Administrator Amit Bose

01/15/2023

Influencer Rail Safety PSA :15 English captioned

If you’re a social media influencer, please share the message of railroad safety. Operation Lifesaver Inc.

No follower is worth the risk.

01/14/2023

: Are you familiar with the various railroad crossing signs?

01/13/2023

TRESPASS TOOLKIT Document Center Search | Federal Railroad Administration

Did you know that hundreds of people tragically lose their lives every year on train tracks due to trespassing or su***de? With help from the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, we developed a Trespass and Su***de Prevention Toolkit. Debuted last spring, this is a resource for identifying effective railroad trespass prevention strategies and su***de prevention measures for individuals who work in railroad safety, researchers, community members, and others. Visit the toolkit here:

The public homepage for the Federal Railroad Administration, an operating mode of the Department of Transportation.

01/12/2023

1.12.23 RCVW_Active Grade Crossing

Today, the FRA demonstrated a Rail Crossing Violation Warning (RCVW)-equipped vehicle at U.S. Department of Transportation Headquarters. The RCVW system provides drivers with information about potential conflicts at grade crossings.

In the future, this innovation will warn drivers upon approaching an activated grade crossing warning device and when stopped on the tracks by communicating though audio and visual signals in their vehicle.

RCVW was jointly funded and developed by the FRA Office of Research, Development, & Technology (RD&T) and U.S. Department of Transportation Intelligent Transportations Systems Joint Program Office from 2016–2018. Since 2018, RD&T has continued to refine and test the system as a platform to demonstrate that safety benefits are achievable through the application of connected and automated vehicle technologies at highway-rail grade crossings, and to foster innovation by making RCVW freely available to developers and automakers.

Today, the FRA demonstrated a Rail Crossing Violation Warning (RCVW)-equipped vehicle at U.S. Department of Transportation Headquarters. The RCVW system provides drivers with information about potential conflicts at grade crossings. In the future, this innovation will warn drivers upon approaching an activated grade crossing warning device and when stopped on the tracks by communicating though audio and visual signals in their vehicle.
RCVW was jointly funded and developed by the FRA Office of Research, Development, & Technology (RD&T) and U.S. Department of Transportation Intelligent Transportations Systems Joint Program Office from 2016–2018. Since 2018, RD&T has continued to refine and test the system as a platform to demonstrate that safety benefits are achievable through the application of connected and automated vehicle technologies at highway-rail grade crossings, and to foster innovation by making RCVW freely available to developers and automakers.

Check out the RCVW Sytem connected vehicle technology when you approch an activated grade crossing warning device.

01/12/2023

Federal Register :: Request Access

FRA has issued Guidance on the Development & Implementation of Railroad Capital Projects to assist project sponsors & partners. Read more here:

Due to aggressive automated scraping of FederalRegister.gov and eCFR.gov, programmatic access to these sites is limited to access to our extensive developer APIs.

01/11/2023

Want a quiet zone in your community? Public authorities may establish quiet zones and/or quiet hours by making necessary safety engineering improvements to compensate for the loss of audible warning provided by locomotive horns at highway-rail crossings. Learn more about quiet zones here: https://bit.ly/3W045o5

01/10/2023

: In railroad signaling, the appearance of a fixed signal is the: A-Aspect; B-Base Display; C-Motion Indication; D-Proceed Decoder

The answer is A-Aspect

01/09/2023

: APPENDIX “D” , you can find more information here: https://railroads.dot.gov/divisions/partnerships-programs/back2basics

01/08/2023

Always Expect a Train - Train Crossing (PSA13)

Never stop your vehicle on the train tracks.

Don’t let those tunes distract you while driving. Always maintain your focus and stay aware—especially when driving over . ...

01/07/2023

: School buses must stop at every grade crossing.

01/06/2023

Federal Register :: Request Access

Application Deadline-March 27, 2023.

Nearly $9 Billion in funding is available to upgrade and expand passenger rail services along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) through the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program (Partnership Program). The NEC stretches from Washington, D.C. to Boston, is one of the highest-volume rail lines in the world. Read the NOFO here:

Due to aggressive automated scraping of FederalRegister.gov and eCFR.gov, programmatic access to these sites is limited to access to our extensive developer APIs.

01/05/2023

: FRA sponsored a research study with the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center to evaluate the effectiveness of using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) (also known as drones) and photogrammetry software to expedite the accident reconstruction process. Learn more here: https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/utilization-unmanned-aerial-vehicles-accident-reconstruction.

01/04/2023

Experienced a blocked crossing over 20 minutes in the last 7 days? You can report it using our newly updated Blocked Crossing Portal page. You are the key to helping the FRA work with the railroad, communities, and stakeholders to develop working solutions. Report here: https://www.fra.dot.gov/blockedcrossings/

01/03/2023

FRA Begins Soliciting Proposals Through First-of-its-kind Program to Advance New and Enhanced Intercity Passenger Rail Corridors | FRA

*NEW PROGRAM APPLICATION DEADLINE* We are now soliciting proposals for intercity passenger rail corridors under the Corridor Identification and Development Program. The Corridor ID Program was created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and it provides a first-of-its-kind opportunity to guide the development of new and improved intercity passenger rail services. These services will enhance travel options and economic growth across the country, and selected corridor sponsors will work closely with FRA over the long-term to plan and deliver them. Formal proposals must be submitted by March 20, 2023. Read more here:

The Corridor Identification and Development Program will support long-term passenger rail development in communities across the country WASHINGTON, D.C.