The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 (49 U.S.C. 103, Section 3(e)(1)). The purpose of FRA is to: promulgate and enforce rail safety regulations; 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. Today, the FRA is one of ten agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation concerned with intermodal transportation. It operates through seven divisions under the offices of the Administrator and Deputy Administrator.
Administrator/Deputy Administrator
The FRA is led by an Administrator, who is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and a Deputy Administrator also appointed by the President. The Administrator and Deputy work closely together in overseeing all aspects of FRA operations. This involves the development of freight and passenger rail policy, safety regulations and initiatives, legislation, and research and development activities, as well as enforcement of FRA safety regulations. This Administration is also committed to new management initiatives which provide a positive work environment and a high degree of productivity.
Financial Management and Administration
The Office of Financial Management and Administration (RAD) directs and coordinates the administrative programs and services of the FRA, both in Headquarters and in the eight Regional Offices. It includes the offices of: Human Resources; Information Technology; Acquisition and Grants Services; and Financial Management. The Office of Financial Management includes the Financial Services Staff, Budget Staff, and Support Systems Staff. RAD is also responsible for coordinating the implementation of government-wide and Department of Transportation management reforms.
Chief Counsel
The Safety Law Division of the Office of Chief Counsel develops and drafts the agency's safety regulations, assesses civil penalties for violations of the rail safety statutes and FRA safety regulations, and provides other legal support for FRA's safety program. The General Law Division provides legal services to FRA's various offices on all legal issues other than safety law, including Freedom of Information Act, Federal Tort Claims Act, and Surface Transportation Board matters.
Civil Rights
The Office of Civil Rights provides leadership, policy guidance, support, and coordination to FRA's various offices and external customers to ensure effective and consistent diversity and civil rights programs. The OCR program responsibilities also include processing internal and external complaints, minority interns, special observances, and other operational functions.
Public Affairs
The Office of Public Affairs works closely with all departments within the agency in developing timely information for release through a variety of print and electronic news outlets as well as distribution to the general public. It also works closely with other Department of Transportation offices in support of the Administration's public policy objectives.
Office of Public Engagement
The Office of Public Engagement (OPE) is a department under the executive direction of the Administrator, charged with providing direct support to the Federal Railroad Administrator, the Deputy Administrator and program offices in support of marketing and outreach assistance to internal and external stakeholders, customers and partners at the national, regional and state levels in the railroad community and public. Within OPE, the Executive Secretariat serves as the overall point of contact for all correspondence requiring a response by the Secretary of Transportation or the FRA Administrator, as well as internal projects as determined by the Administrator.
Railroad Policy and Development
The Office of Railroad Policy and Development (RPD) is responsible for Federal investment and assistance to the rail industry as well as the development and implementation of Administration policy concerning intercity rail passenger service and high-speed rail. It sponsors research and development activities to advance science and engineering to improve the technology for railroad safety and work. It provides investment opportunities for small freight railroad projects, primarily through the RRIF program.
The Office of Policy provides support, analysis and recommendations on broad subjects relating to the railroad industry such as: mergers and restructuring; economic regulation; rail economics; financial health; traffic patterns and network analysis; labor-management issues; freight data and operations; intermodalism; environmental issues; and international programs.
Railroad Safety
The Office of Railroad Safety promotes and regulates safety throughout the Nation's railroad industry. It employs more than 415 Federal safety inspectors, who operate out of eight regional offices nationally. FRA inspectors specialize in five safety disciplines and numerous grade crossing and trespass-prevention initiatives: Track, Signal and Train Control , Motive Power and Equipment, Operating Practices, Hazardous Materials, and Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety . The Office trains and certifies State safety inspectors to enforce Federal rail safety regulations. Central to the success of the rail safety effort is the ability to understand the nature of rail-related accidents and to analyze trends in railroad safety. To do this, the Office of Railroad Safety collects rail accident/incident data from the railroads and converts this information into meaningful statistical tables, charts, and reports.
