Grade Crossing
A grade crossing is an at-grade intersection where a railroad track crosses a public road or private driveway, regulated by the FRA and protected by active or passive warning devices.
A grade crossing — also called a level crossing or highway-rail grade crossing — is a location where a railroad track intersects a public road, private road, or pathway at the same elevation. Grade crossings are regulated under FRA jurisdiction (49 CFR Part 234) and are assigned a unique USDOT crossing inventory number that ties to a federal database of crossing characteristics, warning device type, traffic volume, and accident history. Crossings are classified as either active — equipped with flashing lights, bells, and gates — or passive, marked only with crossbuck signs and pavement markings. The AAR and FRA track crossing accident and incident data nationally; grade crossing collisions are among the leading categories of railroad-related fatalities in the United States, accounting for the majority of non-trespasser railroad deaths annually. Crossing safety is a shared responsibility between the railroad, the highway authority, and the state DOT.
Grade crossings represent the most frequent interface between railroad operations and the general public, and they are the location of the majority of rail-highway collisions. From a train crew standpoint, every crossing approach requires a whistle sequence (or horn pattern in quiet zones), attention to crossing predictor timing, and awareness that a vehicle may be stopped on or fouling the crossing as the train arrives. Rear-of-train crossing exposure is a specific risk on long trains — the rear cars may be blocking the crossing long after the locomotive has passed, a situation that rear-facing coverage from RAILvue's end-of-train visibility systems directly addresses by giving the engineer a live view of the crossing behind the train. Video documentation of crossing approaches also provides critical evidence in the frequent litigation that follows rail-highway collisions.
Coming into a crossing at track speed, you've got your hand on the horn and you're watching for any vehicle that isn't stopping the way it should. Most crossings are routine. But the one that isn't routine happens fast — a vehicle stalled on the crossing, a truck that misjudged the gap, a car that ran the gate. Your forward camera captures everything the moment of approach. On a shove move into an industrial site, the crossing behind you is blind — you're pushing cars across a road you can't see, relying on your conductor to protect it or a rear camera to give you a live view of what's back there.
Solutions
- End-of-Train Visibility Systems
Provides live rear camera view of crossings behind the train during long consists and shove moves.
- Locomotive Camera Systems
Forward-facing camera documents crossing approach, vehicle behavior, and crew horn compliance for post-incident review.
- Rail Yard & Siding Security Systems
Fixed camera coverage of crossing locations within yard limits and industrial sidings.
Products
- sk-ltemc01
Wireless LTE rear camera that gives the engineer a live view of crossings behind the trailing car.
- sk-ja26
Forward and rear exterior cameras capturing crossing approach conditions.
- rail-one-ldvr
Onboard DVR recording and preserving crossing video for incident documentation and litigation support.
- Locomotive
A locomotive is the self-propelled power unit that generates tractive effort to move a train consist over a railroad.
- End-of-Train Device (ETD)
An ETD is the FRA-mandated unit on the trailing car that monitors brake-pipe pressure and transmits status to the locomotive cab.
- Rail Yard
A rail yard is a facility where railcars are sorted, classified, stored, and assembled into outbound trains for revenue service.
- Dark Territory
Dark territory is railroad track that operates without any signal system, where train movements are governed entirely by track warrants and direct crew communication.
- Positive Train Control (PTC)
PTC is the FRA-mandated system that automatically enforces speed restrictions and prevents train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, and unauthorized incursions into work zones.
Need this in your operation?
RAILvue builds camera systems for the people who actually run trains.