Here we go in FRA insanity. Here are the facts.

EVERY railroad is subject to inspections by the FRA, for the purpose of FRA's enforcing their Emergency Order (E.O.) authority. Their sole recourse is to issue an Emergency Order becuase of imminent hazard to life and property; or threaten to do so. They do not issue Emergency Orders very often. The last one barred cell phone use. Yes that's right there hasn't been an E.O. since Chatsworth.

Some railroads are subject to 49 CFR 213, which has numerous, picayune requirements for track quality. An FRA inspection can easily turn up 20 defects a mile, all listed on a form the FRA man gives you. Those railroads are able to designate certain track "Excepted Track" with greatly reduced FRA burdens as described in 213. Those railroads may not run passenger trains on excepted track AFAIK.

All others are exempt from 213 entirely, whether they run passenger trains or not. They are never exempt from E.O. authority, as described above.

Watching some of those videos with the freights I kept waiting for the cars to fall over as they rocked back and forth over the tracks. It seems it wouldn't take much especially as cars started swaying.