Federal Railroad Administration
Encyclopedia
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation. The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966. The purpose of FRA is to promulgate and enforce rail safety regulation
s, administer railroad assistance programs, conduct research and development in support of improved railroad safety and national rail transportation policy, provide for the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor
rail passenger service, and consolidate government support of rail transportation activities.
. It operates through seven divisions under the offices of the Administrator and Deputy Administrator. These divisions are: Financial Management and Administration, Chief Counsel, Civil Rights, Public Affairs, Public Engagement, Railroad Policy and Development, and Safety. It has a staff of about 850.
, who took over as head of Amtrak. Boardman headed the agency since the United States Senate
confirmed him on May 3, 2005. Until his appointment with the FRA, Boardman was transportation commissioner for the state of New York
. He began working as FRA Administrator on June 1, 2005.
On April 29, 2009, the United States Senate
confirmed the nomination of Joe Szabo
to become the new FRA Administrator. Szabo is the first FRA Administrator to be chosen from the ranks of railroad employment. Szabo's first railroad job began in 1976 with the Illinois Central Railroad
as a switchman; he most recently served as Illinois state legislative director for the United Transportation Union
(UTU). An informal swearing-in ceremony is expected to be held on May 5 to enable Szabo to begin work immediately with an official ceremony to be scheduled at a future date.
(UIC). The FRA also oversees distribution of funding to Amtrak and to the High Speed Rail initiatives currently under study in various states.
Regulation
Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...
s, administer railroad assistance programs, conduct research and development in support of improved railroad safety and national rail transportation policy, provide for the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
rail passenger service, and consolidate government support of rail transportation activities.
Organization
The FRA is one of 10 agencies within the Department of Transportation concerned with intermodal transportationIntermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
. It operates through seven divisions under the offices of the Administrator and Deputy Administrator. These divisions are: Financial Management and Administration, Chief Counsel, Civil Rights, Public Affairs, Public Engagement, Railroad Policy and Development, and Safety. It has a staff of about 850.
Leadership
In December 2008, Clifford C. Eby was named acting administrator, replacing Joseph H. BoardmanJoseph H. Boardman
Joseph H. Boardman is the president of Amtrak and formerly Administrator of the United States Federal Railroad Administration.He was nominated by President George W. Bush on March 17, 2005 and confirmed by the United States Senate on April 28, 2005. He was the eleventh Federal Railroad...
, who took over as head of Amtrak. Boardman headed the agency since the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirmed him on May 3, 2005. Until his appointment with the FRA, Boardman was transportation commissioner for the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He began working as FRA Administrator on June 1, 2005.
On April 29, 2009, the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirmed the nomination of Joe Szabo
Joseph C. Szabo
Joseph C. Szabo is the twelfth and current Federal Railroad Administrator of the United States. Nominated by President Barack Obama on March 20, 2009, he was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 29, 2009....
to become the new FRA Administrator. Szabo is the first FRA Administrator to be chosen from the ranks of railroad employment. Szabo's first railroad job began in 1976 with the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
as a switchman; he most recently served as Illinois state legislative director for the United Transportation Union
United Transportation Union
The United Transportation Union is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a broad-based, transportation labor union representing about 125,000 active and retired railroad, bus, mass transit, and airline workers in the United States....
(UTU). An informal swearing-in ceremony is expected to be held on May 5 to enable Szabo to begin work immediately with an official ceremony to be scheduled at a future date.
Emphasis
The FRA's safety regulations target historical causal factors in order to prevent those same practices from causing additional accidents and employee injuries. There are regulations that focus on "crash worthiness," but are not taken at the expense of "collision avoidance,". As a result, American trains are considerably heavier than their foreign counterparts governed by regulations of the Paris, France-based International Union of RailwaysInternational Union of Railways
The UIC , or International Union of Railways, is an international rail transport industry body.- Brief history :The railways of Europe originated as separate concerns. There were many border changes after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Colonial railways were the responsibility of the...
(UIC). The FRA also oversees distribution of funding to Amtrak and to the High Speed Rail initiatives currently under study in various states.
See also
- The Federal Transit AdministrationFederal Transit AdministrationThe Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit agencies. - The Interstate Commerce CommissionInterstate Commerce CommissionThe Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
regulated railroad safety prior to creation of the FRA. - The National Transportation Safety BoardNational Transportation Safety BoardThe National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
investigates accidents and crashes involving railroads. - The United States Railroad AdministrationUnited States Railroad AdministrationThe United States Railroad Administration was the name of the nationalized railroad system of the United States between 1917 and 1920. It was possibly the largest American experiment with nationalization, and was undertaken against a background of war emergency.- Background :On April 6, 1917, the...
operated from 1917 to 1920. - Speed limits in the United States (rail)Speed limits in the United States (rail)Rail speed limits in the United States are regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration. Railroads also implement their own limits and enforce speed limits. Speed restrictions are based on a number of factors including curvature, signaling, track condition, the physical condition of a train,...