1. What does FRA do?

FRA’s mission is to enable the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods for a strong America, now and in the future. Using the broad statutory authority Congress has provided, FRA accomplishes this mission by promoting and regulating railroad safety throughout the United States. FRA’s diverse staff of railroad and transportation experts engage in the following activities:

• Regulations—creation, revision, and enforcement
• Inspections, accident investigations, safety audits, technical assistance, and data collection and analysis
• Outreach to and partnerships with state and local governments and other stakeholders
• Research and development into safety technologies

FRA also promotes the development of the freight, passenger, and commuter rail network through grant programs, which have seen historic levels of funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Visit our Newsroom for recent announcements of grant awards and opportunities to apply for funding.

2. What does FRA not do?

The following items are outside FRA’s purview:

• Day-to-day operations by individual railroads, such as train schedules or other customer service issues
• Issues covered by state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances
• Subways and light rail
• Issues handled by other agencies or boards

We understand and appreciate people have specific issues with individual railroads or other entities, and often the best assistance we can provide is to point you to another agency or a company to better address your concerns.

3. How can I get a refund from Amtrak or submit concerns about a recent trip?

FRA has no authority over Amtrak’s refund policy. As an independent corporation, Amtrak is responsible for setting and enforcing operational policies and issuing refunds. Contact Amtrak's Office of Customer Relations at 1-800-USA-RAIL or OCR@amtrak.com or visit Amtrak’s website and complete the online form at https://www.amtrak.com/contact-us/email.html.

4. I’d like to report a possible regulatory violation by a railroad. How do I do that?

You can report an alleged violation by filling out and submitting the form available here: Federal Railroad Administration Alleged Violation Reporting Form | FRA (dot.gov). FRA will evaluate the information received and take action as appropriate.

5. How can I get trash cleaned up around railroad tracks?

Contact the railroad company that owns the rail property. For additional assistance, contact your local government officials.

6. How do I report a blocked crossing to FRA?

You can report a recent blocked crossing to FRA using the Public Blocked Crossing Incident Reporter. Although FRA uses data from these reports to improve our understanding of the issue and to help communities find solutions. FRA seeks to be responsive to communities who face these issues, and we have often facilitated the communities and railroads’ work to find solutions to blocked crossings.

7. How can I establish a quiet zone in my community?

Public authorities may establish quiet zones by making safety improvements at highway-rail grade crossings that will mitigate the increased risk caused by the absence of a train’s warning horn. Visit FRA’s Train Horn Rule and Quiet Zone webpage and the Crossing Inventory Lookup for more information.

8. I’d like information on a specific train accident. What information does FRA provide?

Railroads are required to submit reports of certain accidents/incidents to FRA within 30 days after the month in which the event occurs. After verifying and compiling the information, FRA makes the data available on our legacy and beta safety data websites. Please note that accident/incident data is published three months after the accident/incident occurred (i.e., data for an accident/incident that occurred in January 2024 would be available on FRA’s website on April 1, 2024).

To find information on a specific train accident or other topic, you can review full dataset downloads available on FRA’s website here.

FRA publishes its findings related to certain accidents or incidents and those finalized reports are posted here in our e-Library.

9. Which accidents does FRA investigate?

FRA investigates accidents and incidents that meet certain criteria, such as if an injury or fatality occurred or significant property damage occurred. Please see Accident Data, Reporting, and Investigations for details.

10. I’m a retiring railroad employee. How can I get my railroad retirement?

Railroad industry retirement benefits are administered by the Railroad Retirement Board, an independent Federal agency. Contact the agency at 877-772-5772 or by using the myRRB webpage.

11. I used to work for a railroad, and I need my conductor certification card. How do I get that?

Conductor and engineer certification cards are issued by individual railroads. Contact the railroad that you were employed by to request anything related to certification.