Grade Crossing Safety
The Association of American Railroads and its member railroads are committed to improving grade crossing safety.
From 1980 through 2007, the number of grade crossing incidents fell 74 percent. In face, 2007 was the safest year ever in terms of grade crossing safety.
With approximately 140,000 public grade crossings in the United States, improving grade crossing safety is an enormous challenge that will take the combined efforts of railroads; state, local, and federal governments; public safety officials; and the public. A freight train moving at 55 miles an hour can take a mile or more to stop — the equivalent of nearly 18 football fields.
Causes of grade crossing accidents:
According to a June 2004 report issued by the Department of Transportation's Inspector General, 94 percent of all grade crossing accidents are caused by risky driver behavior. (See full inspector general report here .) About half of all grade crossing accidents occur at crossings that are already equipped with active warning devices such as bells, gates, and lights.
Grade crossing warning signs and signals:
Active warning devices at grade crossings, as well as passive devices such as stop signs and yield signs, are highway traffic control devices and cannot be installed by railroads on public roads without the consent and permission of appropriate government authorities.
Each state receives an allocation of federal safety funds for grade crossing improvements. States, not railroads, determine the location and types of grade crossing signals to be installed, and develops a priority list of where to put them. These decisions are based on factors factors such as average daily motor vehicle traffic, train volumes and speeds, and accident history. The railroads have strongly supported recommendations to install stop or yield signs at all passive railroad crossings. These additional signs would help clarify what drivers should do at grade crossings.
Railroad industry initiatives to improve grade crossing safety:
Grade crossing safety is a major priority for railroads. Railroads spend several hundred million dollars each year on programs related to grade crossing safety, including funding educational activities, crossing signal maintenance, and vegetation control. Just a few of the many other railroad efforts to improve grade crossing safety include the following:
- North America's freight railroads are founding sponsors of Operation Lifesaver ,
an international, non-profit education and awareness organization dedicated to ending tragic collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and railroad rights-of-way. Operation Lifesaver provides free safety presentations to more than 1.3 million people every year.
- Railroads work closely with communities and property owners to close unnecessary and redundant crossings. For example, since 2000, BNSF Railway has closed more than 3,500 grade crossings. ( Click here to visit BNSF.)
- Railroads sponsor cutting-edge public safety campaigns designed to promote grade-crossing safety and prevent trespassing on railroad tracks. For example, CSX sponsored an award-winning series of billboards, radio ads, and public service announcements to discourage motorists from trying to beat a train at a crossing. One ad states “People outrun trains in the movies. They also save the world, get the girl and own a talking dog.” Another ad says, “Tie goes to the train.” The tagline on each ad: “If you are thinking about beating a train, don’t.” ( Click here to visit CSX.)
- Many major railroads, including Norfolk Southern, have installed or plan to install digital video recorders on locomotives to record the track, crossings, and signals in front of trains. ( Click here to visit Norfolk Southern.)
- Railroads work closely with state officials on improving grade crossing safety. For example, Kansas City Southern and the State of Louisiana entered into a five-year, $16 million corridor project agreement to improve 300 public railroad crossings covering more than 375 miles of track. ( Click here to visit Kansas City Southern.)
- Canadian Pacific and Canadian National joined forces in a cross-Canada campaign to identify high-risk driving behaviors at highway railroad grade crossings and bring them to the public's attention. The initiative is in partnership with the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs, Police Services of Canada, and Transport Canada. ( Click here to visit Canadian National or click here to visit Canadian Pacific.)
- Railroads are engaged in improving existing passive warning devices. For example, Union Pacific has completed a 4-year, $16 million project to install more than 18,000 highly-reflective crossbucks at grade crossings across its 23-state system. UP installed the warning signs at crossings without gates or warning lights. Click here to visit Union Pacific.)
Links for more information on grade crossing safety:
Links and phone numbers for Class I railroads:
BNSF Grade Crossing Safety (for emergencies call: 1-800-832-5452)
CN Crossing Safety (for emergencies call: 1-800-465-9239)
CPR Safety Pages (for emergencies call: 1-800-716-9132)
CSXT Grade Crossing Safety Page (for emergencies call: 1-800-232-0144)
KCS Public Safety Page (for emergencies call: 1-877-527-9464)
NS Community Resources Page (for emergencies call: 1-800-453-2530)
UP Highway Rail Crossing Facts (for emergencies call: 1-888-877-7267)