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What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is a subdivision of the Department of Transportation responsible for ensuring the safety of the nation's railroad system. The agency develops and enforces rail safety regulations, administers financial assistance programs to support rail infrastructure, and conducts research to improve rail safety and efficiency. It was established in 1966.

In FY 2024,

$3.83B

was spent by the Federal Railroad Administration
In FY 2024,

3.3%

of Dept. of Transportation spending was by the Federal Railroad Administration

How much does the Federal Railroad Administration spend?

The Federal Railroad Administration spent a net total of $3.83 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 3.3% of the $117.4 billion spent by the Department of Transportation, which itself was 1.7% of all federal spending. The FRA ranked 4th among DOT subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Federal Railroad Administration ranked 4th among Department of Transportation divisions in net spending in 2024.

DOT net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Federal Railroad Administration’s federal spending has decreased from $6.27 billion in 1980 to $3.83 billion in 2024.

The Federal Railroad Administration’s federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by FRA, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, the Federal Railroad Administration's spending has decreased 38.9%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. FRA spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, FRA accounted for 0.056% of overall federal spending.

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Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Federal Railroad Administration’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by FRA as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, the Federal Railroad Administration transferred 91.2% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net FRA spending.

How did the Federal Railroad Administration spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to FRA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Federal Railroad Administration?

Some 1,161 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Federal Railroad Administration as of September 2024. This is 36.7% more people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Federal Railroad Administration has increased 36.7% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for FRA, September 2010–2024

The Federal Railroad Administration accounts for 0.05% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a larger share of the overall federal workforce in 2024 compared to 2010 (0.04%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Federal Railroad Administration's share of the workforce (0.05%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.056%).

Who leads the Federal Railroad Administration?

The FRA is led by an administrator, who is nominated by the president of the United States and requires confirmation by the Senate. They report to the Secretary of Transportation.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

  • Office of Personnel Management

    FedScope

  • Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury

    Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement

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