The Security of the US Nation’s Passenger and Freight Railroad Network

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Table of Contents

Organization and the Security Program
Managerial Actions and Functions
Institutional Stakeholders in Security Planning
Security Discipline Methods
Strategic Planning and Risk Assessment
Effectiveness of Organizational Security Planning and Administration
Conclusions and Recommendations
References

The world of business continues undergoing multiple changes to enhance its security and mitigate potential threats. Organizations have to hire professionals in different spheres to make sure that enough measures are taken at individual, strategic, and operational levels. However, one should understand that security is never a goal of employees but a means to meet their organizational goals and interests. In many studies, organizational security is characterized by multiple definitions, depending on specific contexts and the environment (Yasin et al., 2018). Still, in most cases, security plays an important role in sharing and storing information to promote collaboration between different stakeholders (Yasin et al., 2018). There are many organizations that take care of their security management, and this paper aims at analyzing recent achievements in the U.S. freight rail system. The Federal Railroad Administration is a governmental agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. One of its integral missions is to guarantee the safe and high-quality movement of people and goods by rail. This report will demonstrate how the American government emphasizes the protection of assets, people, and facilities by means of establishing the FRA’s railroad safety program.

Organization and the Security Program

The U.S. government introduces a complex system with a number of fields and departments that have certain tasks and responsibilities. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is one of the facilities that deal with transportation issues in various directions. Regarding a variety of needs and resources, any department should have specialized agencies that conduct research, analyze activities, and launch regulations. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is one of such DOT agencies, the purpose of which is to define safe and secure means of transportation in the country and abroad for American citizens and organizations. There are several principles in FRA work, namely excellence (cost-effective solutions), transparency and accountability (constructive communication), innovation (investments in the future), engagement (effective policies and stakeholders), and safety (protection for employees and the public) (“About FRA,” 2019). Relying on available resources, contacts, and broad authority, FRA develops new programs regularly.

The FRA’s Railroad Safety Program is one of the contemporary security programs within the chosen organization. Modern railroads are necessary for the country because huge amounts of materials are shipped by rail every day (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2007). The developers of this program are confident that maintaining a safe railroad transportation system is integral for the U.S. Department of Transportation (2007). Therefore, certain railroad safety regulations are established to promote security. A number of steps are taken to manage the work of the department. For example, a railroad inspector has to perform an inspection to uncover hazardous conditions related to terrorist activities (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2007). There are more than 400 individuals in the authorized inspection staff nationwide, and about 160 inspectors in 30 states who are well-trained and prepared in different safety disciplines (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2006). The National Rail Safety Action Plan is constantly improved, covering such tasks as reducing human factor-provoked accidents, managing fatigue among employees, improving track safety, and focusing on emergency preparedness (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2007). Every regulation contributes to track safety promotion and improved railroad services.

Managerial Actions and Functions

The chosen FRA’s Railroad Safety Program contains a number of managerial acts and functions that result in effective protection of assets, personnel, and clients. There are many reasons for the agency to strengthen its policy and re-organize its activity. According to FDA administrators (as cited in U.S. Department of Transportation, 2005), FRA took seriously the causes and outcomes of the September terrorist attacks seriously and paid much attention to respond to the threat of terrorism. It was necessary to develop new security plans and distribute security issues information. Cooperation with other DOT agencies was an important step in terms of which data was safely exchanged and stored.

Technical assistance plays a vital role in the promotion of the FRA’s Railroad Safety Program. All government agencies try to expand the impact of information technology in their operations by assessing security risks and evaluating available military shipments and computer systems (Association of American Railroads, 2021). Web-based tools are created to calculate rail-route risks, and official meetings are organized to select correct decisions, relying on annual data analysis. In addition, FRA is interested in reviewing the needs of passengers to recognize what recommendations can be given face-to-face or online (via forums). To protect assets and personnel, new security plans become centered not only on hazardous material (hazmat) safety enhancement but on freight in general (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2007). Security training for each shipper and hazmat carrier includes awareness of risks associated with transportation and methods to enhance security. In general, such managerial actions as education, training, assessment, and communication promote data exchange to protect people and freights either physically or cyberly.

Institutional Stakeholders in Security Planning

Despite the fact that FRA is an agency with strong authority and various possibilities, this organization needs more stakeholders to be involved in security planning. Regarding such general functions as safety regulation, improved support, and the promotion of freight awareness, it is expected that people with different backgrounds are involved in the development of the program. FRA’s Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) is one of the advisory committees in the organization that promotes collaboration for decision-making and problem solving concerning critical safety issues (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2007). Its regular members usually approve the potential stakeholders and their possible contributions. On a regular basis, carriers (representatives from railroads) and labor organizations participate in discussions and training sessions to share their experiences and improve their knowledge (Association of American Railroads, 2021; U.S. Department of Transportation, 2007). According to Wysokińska-Senkus and Górna (2021), organizational security is an interdisciplinary term, and companies should implement sustainability constantly to achieve a balance between economic, environmental, and social factors. The participation of stakeholders creates an opportunity to learn these factors and make the necessary conclusions in a short period.

In 2013, the FRA Rail Safety Program achieved several critical accomplishments due to the effective cooperation of stakeholders. The responsibilities of the Federal government, Amtrak (a railroad passenger corporation), and freight railroads were improved to ensure transparency and accountability (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2013). None can promote safety working on its own, and these stakeholders should take some actions to prioritize and address the issues of security and terrorist threat. FRA tries to invite more organizations as its supporters in clarifying regulations within the program under analysis. There are such companies as the American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association and the American Public Transportation Association that can strengthen inspectors’ activities and promote innovation. The level of professionalism among these organizations is high enough to perform audits and inspections from different parts of the country and administer enforcement policies (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2013). Additional consultations and modernization of rail infrastructure also contribute to security planning.

Security Discipline Methods

The evaluation of the security program proves that FRA solutions should be focused on the methods from several security disciplines. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (2005), inspectors must be aware of such disciplines as grade crossing, “track, signal and train control, motive power and equipment, operating practices, and hazardous materials” (para. 4). There are eight regional offices in the country to train and prepare inspectors for understanding their direct and indirect responsibilities. Along with routine inspections of railroads, inspectors should identify if there is any noncompliance with safety regulations, prepare a report, and think about the solutions that may be appropriate. Track is a security discipline that checks ballast distribution, the physical condition of trains, and the number of crossties. Motive power and equipment is the discipline with specific safety appliance standards for ladders, running boards, etc., emission regulations, and airbrake systems. Signals and train control should be regularly assessed as well because this discipline promotes interlocking and traffic control systems that regular train movement. Operating practices and hazardous materials are the disciplines that are based on improved awareness, and such methods as inspection and training are applicable.

Strategic Planning and Risk Assessment

Risk assessment practices are necessary for any security program because they help understand what should be done for an organization (an initial stage) and what outcomes must be achieved (a pre-final stage). On the official site of the organization where the FRA’s Railroad Safety Program is presented, not much information about how risk assessment is organized is actually available. For example, it is said that security risk assessment is usually organized on commuter railroads (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2005, 2007). On the one hand, this approach is effective as it allows to check the condition of railroads and trains thoroughly. On the other hand, such a narrow area of assessment does not provide enough opportunities to examine other regions and promote overall service quality.

FRA’s collaboration with different committees and organizations helps determine correct and hazardous behaviors of the personnel. The evaluation of train accidents is focused on train makeup, speed, and the quality of other impacting objects (like wheels or couplers) (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2006). However, strategic planning should also include the evaluation of employees’ knowledge about all crucial requirements. Therefore, along with routine training and education, it is also important to see what the staff knows about their assets and facilities and what information has to be better delivered. The assessment of operational risks becomes a vital part of security management because it defines organizational and infrastructural changes (Wysokińska-Senkus & Górna, 2021). Although FRA succeeds in reporting and controlling processes, more attention is required to understand how to make a decision and choose between available options.

Effectiveness of Organizational Security Planning and Administration

The FRA’s Railroad Safety Program was implemented about a decade ago, and certain results can be observed today. For example, since 2012, the total train accidents have been declined by 43%, and train derailments have been reduced by 41% (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2013). Among the employees, the number of fatalities decreased as well, demonstrating about an 18% decline, while injury control was improved by 14% (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2013). The conditions under which stakeholders demonstrate their interest in the FRA Railroad Safety Program were also improved, and more than 170 industry stakeholders have been reported during the last ten years (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2013). FRA continues implementing new safety measures and introduces initiatives to reduce conflicts and accidents on railroads. Specific attention was paid to the vulnerability of hazardous material equipment, and employees got a chance to work under safe and secure conditions. Finally, the program offers additional rail corridors for the transportation of hazmat trains. Taking all these achievements, improvements, and needs of the organization, one should admit that the effectiveness of organizational security planning is higher than the one of administration work.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Security administration is a complex topic that needs regular research and analysis. It is not enough to prepare one or two regulations and make sure that employees are aware of safety standards. The development of a security program is an obligatory step for many governmental agencies, and FRA is the organization that demonstrates positive results in promoting protection through its Railroad Safety Program. Many sponsors and stakeholders have already been invited and made their contributions. However, much work needs to be done to overcome the existing challenges, poor personnel awareness, and unpredictable terrorist threats. At this moment, the FRA Railroad Safety Program is characterized by solid progress and reduction of train accidents and traumas. Still, it is recommended to combine education, training, and reporting as the main methods to cooperate and support each other, assets, and facilities. Besides, the expansion of areas for routine inspection is required (not only commuter railroads but various destinations). Finally, evaluation (not only training) of personnel’s knowledge has to be regular. In the United States, security management cannot be ignored, and business or government work is determined by how leaders and managers share their knowledge.

References

About FRA. (2019). U.S. Department of Transportation. Web.

Association of American Railroads. (2021). Physical & cybersecurity: Protecting the nation’s freight rail network. AAR. Web.

Federal Railroad Administration. (2019). Stakeholders. US DOT. Web.

U.S. Department of Transportation. (2005). The security of our nation’s passenger and freight railroad network. US DOT. Web.

U.S. Department of Transportation. (2006).FRA’s current safety regulations and rulemaking proceedings. US DOT. Web.

U.S. Department of Transportation. (2007). The security of our nation’s passenger and freight railroad network.US DOT. Web.

U.S. Department of Transportation. (2013). Federal railroad administration’s (FRA) rail safety program accomplishments.US DOT. Web.

Wysokińska-Senkus, A., & Górna, J. (2021). Towards sustainable development: Risk management for organizational security.Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 8(3), 527-544. Web.

Yasin, M. M., Czuchry, A. J., & Small, M. H. (2018). Organizational security: A conceptual framework and implementation issues.Competition Forum,16(1), 38-49. Web.

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