FRA inspection trains in MI

[TSS]

Does anybody know how many FRA inspection trains there are, and why they seem to visit MI so often? One of them has been wandering around Michigan for the last few weeks, hitting regionals and shortlines and currently running on CSX as W001. It seems like they visit MI every year.

[Edit: W001 was reported as FRA in one post, but it appears to actually be CSX geometry. FRA train was here last week as W009-30.]

Michigan is a peninsula with no rail lines of particularly high volume. I suppose the CN is the fairly busy, but it’s no BNSF transcon or Northeast Corridor. If there’s only one or two FRA inspection trains, by priority, they ought to spend most of their time on the BNSF and UP transcons, and high speed/frequency passenger corridors like the NE Corridor and Empire corridor, and maybe venture to Michigan once every five years or so.

Maybe some of the routes in MI are Key routes, with lots of hazmat despite not overly high tonnages in general, which might skew inspections, but still…

[JBaxter]

It seems like at least once a year the FRA train comes up to Grand Rapids for the past couple of years, and then the geometry train has seemed to have come up 2 twice a year if I remember correctly. Probably just routine inspection, and it may have something to do with the various types of weather we experience throughout the year. This is all speculation though.

[LansingRailFan]

There’s one FRA car set.

Any other “geo train” is owned by a class 1 themselves. CN has RDC car CN 1501 and their Track Evaluation Car that is pulled by an engine.

NS has their geo train, “the brick,” and CSX has two different evaluation trains, W001 and W003.

I believe that’s all that you’ll see here.

Shortlines such as adbf will use an outfit like Herzog.

Not sure on the rules of which type of line gets what treatment.

[LansingRailFan]

CSX W001 and CN O998 are both running today in Michigan

[GP30M4216]

It's the government, does anything they do make sense?

Well, they have a helpful roster of the FRA/DOTX track inspection equipment on their website, so yes, at least a little sense.

Click “in this section” > “for everyone” to see the cars: https://railroads.dot.gov/track/automat ... p-overview

[BnOEngr]

CSX's geometry trains hit the whole system (mainlines) twice a year. Maybe the FRA hits everybody in the country once a year?

[Saturnalia]

The FRA plans the route for their train. It’s completely up to them. They go where they want to.

The FRA has a pretty good idea of what’s out there, who to look at closely, etc. Some of the Shortlines kinda welcome the train, since while it can find defects they also get the printout of the run over the line, something carriers would nominally have to pay somebody to do if they didn’t already do it themselves.

It’s also a good chance for the FRA folks to meet with the carrier officials. Always good to have dialogue and keep up their presence.

Much more common are visits by the local FRA inspectors who simply show up randomly or schedule check rides with the track inspectors. They’re really just looking to make sure everybody has a solid understanding and follow through of the regulations.

And, as always, experience tells them who they need to keep a close eye on, and who does a good job. A bad check ride will lead to a lot more scrutiny and visits. But at the end of the day, the FRA’s resources are very limited and they’re big on focusing on getting the local people to do what they need to do and know what they need to know to follow the regulations. Much easier and much safer that way.

All of the above is focused on the track side of things. There are similar but different setups for signal and transportation. But as far as I am aware, they’re all fairly similar, based on periodic checks and basic audits, focused on encouraging and training towards compliance, rather than showing up and trying to find as much to write up as possible. But if they find that you’re struggling to know or act on the rules, get ready for your posterior to be handed to you. They will act if they have to.

In all honesty, I’d say the combined efforts of the carriers and the FRA have made for a darn safe rail network. I welcome the FRA’s presence in the field, it’s good to have an outside, experienced person take a look at your operation with an eye towards ensuring safety to the railroad’s employees, customers and the general public.

[chapmaja]

I'm going to add my two cents to this discussion.

You mentioned where the FRA should send their equipment on a regular basis. How do you know that don't have them spening the majority of their time on those "major" rooutes while spending the rest of the time other routes they deem, based on their extensive knowedlge of the railroad operations in this country, on other routes such as those in Michigan. It may "seem" like they visit Michigan every year, and that is possible. That leaves roughly 50 additional weeks every year where they can be a lot of other routes they are running on, including very possibly mutliple passes on several of the lines you mentioned while running two and from areas you deem "less important."

Does anybody know how many FRA inspection trains there are, and why they seem to visit MI so often? One of them has been wandering around Michigan for the last few weeks, hitting regionals and shortlines and currently running on CSX as W001. It seems like they visit MI every year.

[Edit: W001 was reported as FRA in one post, but it appears to actually be CSX geometry. FRA train was here last week as W009-30.]

Michigan is a peninsula with no rail lines of particularly high volume. I suppose the CN is the fairly busy, but it’s no BNSF transcon or Northeast Corridor. If there’s only one or two FRA inspection trains, by priority, they ought to spend most of their time on the BNSF and UP transcons, and high speed/frequency passenger corridors like the NE Corridor and Empire corridor, and maybe venture to Michigan once every five years or so.

Maybe some of the routes in MI are Key routes, with lots of hazmat despite not overly high tonnages in general, which might skew inspections, but still…

[Standard Railfan]

The US railroad network is approximately 140,000 miles. To cover all the track would require traveling over 500 miles per day assuming 5 days per week and 50 weeks a year. It is not likely that kind of rate is sustainable.

At 100 miles per day 25000 miles per year is covered.

Class 1 railroads have a selfish financial motivation to inspect and maintain the mainlines.

If I were the FRA I would focus on lesser used Class 1, Regional and short lines since fewer private inspection resources are expended.

[David Collins]

This may seem like a stupid question, but why doesn’t the FRA have their own locomotives/crews to operate their inspection trains? It would seem more practical.

[DaveO]

Need to be qualified over all the routes?

[Andy24]

Need to be qualified over all the routes?

Need people to have experience on certain parts of the track routes.

[SD80MAC]

This may seem like a stupid question, but why doesn’t the FRA have their own locomotives/crews to operate their inspection trains? It would seem more practical.

How on earth would you qualify a handful of people on every mile of railroad in the country? Especially when engineer qualifications over a territory are only good for a year.