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{{Short description|Intersection where a road crosses a railway at the same level}}
The term '''level crossing''' (also called a '''railroad crossing''', '''railway crossing''', '''train crossing''' or '''grade crossing''') is a crossing on one level ("[[at-grade intersection]]") — without recourse to a [[bridge]] or [[tunnel]] — of a [[railway]] line by a [[road]], path, or another railroad. It also applies when a [[light rail]] line with separate [[Right-of-way (railroad)|right-of-way]] (or a reserved track [[tram|tramway]]) crosses a road.
{{for|other uses of the term Crossing|Crossing (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|RxR|other uses|RXR (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
[[File:Andrejev križ.jpg|thumb|Most crossings around the world are marked by some form of [[saltire]] (Saint Andrew's cross, or [[crossbuck]]) to warn road users about a level crossing or a level crossing with no barriers. This cross is on a level crossing in [[Slovenia]].]]
A '''level crossing''' is an intersection where a [[railway line]] crosses a road, [[Trail|path]], or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level,<ref name="trains">{{Cite web|url=https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/road-rules/a-to-z-of-road-rules/trains-and-level-crossings|title=Trains & level crossings|last=VicRoads|date=26 August 2014|website=VicRoads|language=en-au|access-date=12 November 2017}}</ref> as opposed to the railway line or the road etc. crossing over or under using an [[Overpass#Railway|overpass]] or [[tunnel]]. The term also applies when a [[light rail]] line with separate [[Right-of-way (railroad)|right-of-way]] or [[reserved track]] crosses a road in the same fashion. Other names include '''railway level crossing''',<ref name="trains" /> '''railway crossing''' (chiefly international), '''grade crossing''' or '''railroad crossing''' (chiefly American),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://railroads.dot.gov/program-areas/highway-rail-grade-crossing/highway-rail-grade-crossings-overview |title=Highway-Rail Grade Crossings Overview |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=4 December 2019 |website=Federal Railroad Administration |publisher=Department of Transportation |access-date=18 June 2020}}</ref> '''road through railroad''', '''criss-cross''', '''train crossing''', and '''RXR''' (abbreviated).
 
There are more than 100,000 level crossings in Europe and more than 200,000 in North America.
==Safety==
[[Image:levelcrossing1.jpg|thumbnail|right|240px|A level crossing, Kingsknowe, Edinburgh.]]
[[Image:Level_crossing_-_Chertsey_-_England_-_270404.jpg|thumbnail|right|240px|A level crossing at Chertsey, England, as the barriers rise.]]
[[Image:Tyne&Wear Metrotrain on level crossing.jpg|thumbnail|right|240px|A level crossing with flashing lights but no barriers on the Tyne and Wear Metro, England.]]
[[Image:Mariazellerbahn level crossing I.JPG|thumbnail|right|240px|A level crossing with a [[stop sign]] on the [[Mariazellerbahn]], a [[single track (rail)|single track]] [[narrow gauge]] line to [[Mariazell]], [[Austria]].]]
[[Image:LevelCrossingPRC.jpg|thumbnail|right|240px|A level crossing on [[China National Highway 109]] in [[Beijing]], [[China]].]]
[[Image:Foto 258.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Level crossing at train station [[Diemen]], [[Netherlands]]. Trains drive on the right, so the picture shows that for each direction the [[railway platform|platforms]] are after the crossing.]]
[[Image:Melbourne Tram Train LV.jpg|thumb|240px|A level crossing in Melbourne, Australia where the roadway includes a tramline.]]
[[Image:IndiaRailwaycrossingSiliguri.jpg|thumbnail|Right|240px|A manually-operated level crossing in India.]]
Early level crossings had a [[flagman]] in a nearby booth who would, on the approach of a train, wave a red flag or lantern to stop all traffic and clear the tracks. Manual or electrical closable gates that barricaded the roadway were later introduced. The gates were intended to be a complete barrier against intrusion of any road traffic onto the railway. In the early days of the railways much road traffic was horsedrawn or included livestock. It was thus necessary to provide a real barrier. The first U.S. [[patent]] for such crossing gates was awarded on [[August 27]] [[1867]], to J. Nason and J. F. Wilson, both of [[Boston, Massachusetts]].<ref name="Rivanna: August">{{cite web| author=Rivanna Chapter, National Railway Historical Society| url=http://avenue.org/nrhs/histaug.htm| title=This Month in Railroad History: August| date=2005| accessdate=2006-08-25| }}</ref>
 
Road-grade crossings are considered incompatible with high-speed rail<ref>{{cite journal |author1=JAMES J. ROZEK |author2=JOHN A. HARRISON |title=Grade Crossing Safety and Economic Issues in Planning for High-Speed Rail Systems |journal=Transportation Research Record |date=1998 |issue=1177 |page=47 |url=https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1988/1177/1177-006.pdf |access-date=2 April 2024 |quote=Highway grade crossings are generally incompatible with HSR operation}}</ref> and are virtually non-existent in European high-speed train operations.<ref>{{cite journal |title=EUROPE'S APPROACH TO RAIL CROSSING SAFETY |journal=ITE Journal |date=1998 |volume=68 |issue=2 |page=18 |url=https://www.worldtransitresearch.info/research/1637/ |access-date=2 April 2024 |publisher=[[Institute of Transportation Engineers]] |issn=0162-8178 |quote=with the exception of a few grade crossings in Italy, all high-speed rail crossings are grade separated}}</ref>
With the appearance of motor vehicles, this barrier became less and less effective and the need for a barrier to livestock diminished dramatically. Many countries therefore substituted the gated crossings with less strong but highly visible barriers and relied upon road users following the associated warning signals to stop.
{{clear}}
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File:The 5.20 for West Kirby leaving Hoylake - geograph.org.uk - 1503619.jpg|A level crossing at [[Hoylake]], [[Merseyside]], England, with a train passing
File:Level crossing in Japan - Tokyo - near Ebaramachi Station - 2022 Oct 24.ogg|An active level crossing in [[Japan]], 2022, train approaching from left
File:North Avenue grade crossing, North Abington, November 2016.JPG|A railroad crossing in [[Abington, Massachusetts]], US
File:CRH380A-2776@Shoupakou_(20150915105335).JPG|A [[CRH380A]] train passing Shoupakou level crossing at [[Beijing]], China
</gallery>
 
== History ==
In many countries, level crossings on less important roads and railway lines are often "open" or "uncontrolled", sometimes with warning lights or bells to warn of approaching trains. Ungated crossings represent a safety issue; many accidents have occurred due to failure to notice or obey the warning. Railways in the [[United States of America|United States]] are adding reflectors to the side of each train car to help prevent accidents at level crossings. In some countries, such as [[Ireland]], instead of an open crossing there may be manually operated gates, which the motorist must open and close. These too have significant risks, as they are unsafe to use without possessing a knowledge of the train timetable: motorists may be instructed to telephone the railway signaller, but may not always do so.
 
The types of early level crossings varied by ___location, but often they had a [[Flagman (rail)|flagman]] in a nearby booth who, on the approach of a train, would wave a red flag or lantern to stop all traffic and clear the tracks. This was a dangerous job that cost the lives of gatekeepers or their family members, as the train was not given enough time to stop.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wojtczak |first=Helena |date=6 May 2019 |title=Female gatekeepers killed by trains 1846-1906. |url=https://www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk/female-gatekeepers-killed-by-trains-1846-1906/ |access-date=29 April 2024 |website=Railway Work, Life & Death |language=en-US}}</ref>
The consensus in contemporary railway design is to avoid the use of level crossings. The director of rail safety at the [[United Kingdom|UK]] Railway Inspectorate commented in [[2004]] that "the use of level crossings contributes the greatest potential for catastrophic risk on the railways." Eighteen people were killed in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] on level crossings in 2003-4. Bridges and tunnels are now favoured, but this can be impractical in flat countryside where there is insufficient space to build a roadway embankment or tunnel (because of nearby buildings).
 
Gated crossings became commonplace in many areas, as they protected the railway from people trespassing and livestock, and they protected the users of the crossing when closed by the signalman/gateman. In the second quarter of the 20th century{{Citation needed|date=December 2020|reason=In Western Europe gates were common in 1875, likely before}}, manual or electrical [[boom barrier|closable gates]] that barricaded the roadway started to be introduced, intended to be a complete barrier against intrusion of any road traffic onto the railway. Automatic crossings are now commonplace in some countries as motor vehicles replaced [[horse-drawn vehicle]]s and the need for animal protection diminished with time. Full-, half- or no-barrier crossings superseded gated crossings, although crossings of older types can still be found in places.
At [[train station|railway stations]] a pedestrian level crossing is sometimes provided to allow passengers to reach other platforms in the absence of an underpass or bridge.
In rural regions with sparse traffic, the least expensive type of level crossing to operate is one without flagmen or gates, with only a warning sign posted. This type has been common across North America and in many developing countries.
 
Some international rules have helped to harmonise level crossing. For instance, the [[Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals|1968 Vienna Convention]] states (chapter 3, article 23b) that:
Where [[third rail]] systems have level crossings, there is a gap in the third rail over the level crossing, but the power supply is not interrupted since trains have current collectors on multiple cars.
* "one or two blinking red light indicates a car should stop; if they are yellow the car can pass with caution".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified-compilation/19680245/|title=RS 0.741.20 Convention du 8 novembre 1968 sur la signalisation routière (avec annexes)|date=29 December 2016|website=Swiss Federal Government Portal|___location=Vienna|language=fr|trans-title=RS 0.741.20: Convention of 8 November 1968 on the road signals (with appendices)|orig-year=1968|access-date=22 January 2019|quote=Un feu rouge clignotant; ou deux feux rouges, clignotant alternativement, dont l'un apparaît quand l'autre s'éteint, montés sur le même support à la même hauteur et orientés dans la même direction signifient que les véhicules ne doivent pas franchir la ligne d'arrêt ou, s'il n'y a pas de ligne d'arrêt, l'aplomb du signal; ces feux ne peuvent être employés qu'aux passages à niveau [et dans certaines autres circonstances]...un feu jaune clignotant ou deux feux jaunes clignotant alternativement signifient que les conducteurs peuvent passer, mais avec une prudence particulière.|edition=11 December 1992}}</ref>
* Article 27 suggests stop lines at level crossings.
* Article 33, 34, 35 and 36 are specific to level crossings, because level crossings are recognized as dangerous.
* Article 35 indicates a cross should exist{{clarify|date=December 2024}} when there is no barrier or lights.
This has been implemented in many countries, including countries which are not part of the Vienna Convention.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File:The Lineman (Laurits Andersen Ring) - Nationalmuseum - 21932.tif|A gateman at work at a gated crossing of the [[South Line (Denmark)|South Line]] in [[Denmark]].<br/>Painting by [[L. A. Ring]], 1884.<ref>{{Cite Q | Q106492615 }}</ref>
File:Thies 4323.jpg|Level crossing in [[Senegal]] (2020)
File:Level crossing in Hanoi.jpg|A level crossing at Hanoi, Vietnam, with crossing lights, electric bells, and half-barrier gates in their open position
</gallery>
 
==Safety==
==Crossings around the world==
Trains have a much larger [[mass]] relative to their braking capability, and thus a far longer [[braking distance]] than road vehicles. With rare exceptions, trains do not stop at level crossings but rely on road vehicles and pedestrians to clear the tracks in advance. There have been several accidents in which a heavy load on a slow road transporter has not cleared the line in time, eg [[Dalfsen train crash]] and [[Hixon rail crash]]. At Hixon the police escort had received no training in their responsibilities.
===Australia===
In [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]], there are several level crossings where the train tracks cross roads with [[tram]] tracks. Australian railroading generally follows [[United States]] practice, and has increasingly been employing American-made crossing warning equipment, such as grade crossing predictors, which attempt to provide a consistent amount of warning time for a trains of widely varying speeds.
 
Level crossings constitute a significant safety concern internationally. On average, each year around 400 people in the [[European Union]]<ref name="Cirovic">{{cite journal |last1=Cirovic |first1=G. |last2=Pamucar |first2=D. |title=Decision support model for prioritizing railway level crossings for safety improvements: Application of the adaptive neuro-fuzzy system |journal=Expert Systems with Applications |volume=40 |year=2012 |issue=6|pages=2208–2223 |doi=10.1016/j.eswa.2012.10.041}}</ref> and over 300 in the United States<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mok |first1=Shannon C |last2=Savage |first2=Ian |title=Why Has Safety Improved at Rail-Highway Grade Crossings? |journal=Risk Analysis |date=1 August 2005 |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=867–881 |doi=10.1111/j.1539-6924.2005.00642.x|pmid=16268935 |bibcode=2005RiskA..25..867M |s2cid=5744697 |url=http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/208237/files/2004_ImproveSafety_paper.pdf }}</ref> are killed in level crossing accidents. Collisions can occur with vehicles as well as pedestrians; pedestrian collisions are more likely to result in a fatality.<ref>{{cite report |publisher=[[Australian Transport Safety Bureau]] |title=Level crossing accident fatalities |year=2004 |url=https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/2004/lev_cross_fat }}</ref> Among pedestrians, young people (5–19 years), older people (60 years and over), and males are considered to be higher risk users.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Lloyd's Register Rail |title=Study of pedestrian behaviour at public railway crossings |journal=Public Transport Safety Victoria |year=2007}}</ref> On some commuter lines most trains may slow to stop at a station, but express or freight trains will pass through stations at high speed without slowing.
One recent innovation in Australia is to provide [[crossbuck]]s with flashing yellow lights at a distance from the level crossing itself, particularly where there are curves and visibility problems.
===Belgium===
At a level crossing, any overhead electric power cables must also cross. This led to a conflict where a mainline railway that crossed one of the country's once extensive interurban [[tram]]lines (''vicinal'' or ''buurtspoorweg'') was electrified. In at least one ___location, this led to the tram overhead being dismantled.
 
As far as warning systems for road users are concerned, level crossings either have "passive" protection, in the form of various types of warning signs, or "[[Grade crossing signals|active]]" protection, using automatic warning devices such as flashing lights, warning sounds, and barriers or gates.<ref name="Cirovic" /> In the 19th century and for much of the 20th, a sign warning "Stop, look, and listen" (or similar wording) was the sole protection at most level crossings. Fewer collisions take place at level crossings with active warning systems, and active protection is widely available.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Federal Railroad Administration |title=Railroad safety statistics: 2005 annual report |journal=Federal Railroad Administration, Washington D.C |year=2006}}</ref> Modern radar sensor systems can detect if level crossings are free of obstructions as trains approach. These improve safety by not lowering crossing barriers that may trap vehicles or pedestrians on the tracks, while signalling trains to brake until the obstruction clears. However, they cannot prevent a vehicle from moving out onto the track once it is far too late for the locomotive to slow even slightly.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://honeywell.com/sites/aero-regelsysteme/Produktes/Documents/RS_e_40702.pdf |title=Honeywell Radar Scanner, Advantages & Benefits |date=11 May 2012 |publisher=[[Honeywell]] Regelsysteme GmbH |access-date=1 September 2013}}</ref>
Level crossings in Belgium, like the UK, have two red lights and an amber light. However, the amber flashes for a second every certain number of seconds just to warn drivers and pedestrians of the level crossing.
 
Due to the increase in road and rail traffic as well as for safety reasons, level crossings are increasingly being removed. As an example, [[Melbourne]] is {{asof|2024|lc=y}}, planning to [[Level Crossing Removal Project|close 110 level crossings by 2030]] and (due to the proximity of some stations) rebuild 51 stations.{{cn|date=February 2025}}
===Italy===
The cable-hauled section of the tramway up the hill from [[Trieste]] to [[Opicina]] has an interesting level crossing with a minor road at midpoint. As well as the rails, people crossing have to step or drive over two haulage cables, separated by wooden planking.
 
At [[Railroad stations|railway stations]], a pedestrian level crossing is sometimes provided to allow passengers to reach other platforms in the absence of an underpass or bridge, or for disabled access. Where [[third rail]] systems have level crossings, there is a gap in the third rail over the level crossing, but this does not necessarily interrupt the power supply to trains since they may have current collectors on multiple cars.
===Netherlands===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
===New Zealand===
File:Alsdorf BÜ Bahnhofstraße.JPG|Level crossing in [[Germany]] with an egg-shaped radar sensor for detecting obstacles on the crossing
On the [[Taieri Gorge]] line, and in two places on the [[Hokitika Branch]], in rural [[South Island]], [[New Zealand]], roads and railways share the same bridge when crossing a river; the rails are in the road and both motorists and the train driver must ensure that the bridge is clear, end to end, before starting to cross.
File:Stop Look Listen Sign.jpg|A "stop, look, and listen" sign in Britain
File:Pare-mire-escuche fcb.jpg|A "stop, look, and listen" sign in Argentina
</gallery>
 
{{Chart|definition=Rail collisions per billion miles traveled.chart|data=Rail collisions per billion miles traveled.tab|Width=270}}
===Southeast Asia===
Source: US Department of Transportation.<ref name="caranddriver.com">{{Cite web |last=U.S. Department of Transportation |date=December 2005 |title=Transit Safety & Security Statistics & Analysis 2003 Annual Report (Formerly SAMIS) |url=https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/tsass2003.pdf}}</ref>
Level crossings in [[China]], [[Thailand]], and [[Malaysia]] are still largely manually-operated, where the barriers are lowered using a manual switch when trains approach. A significant number of crossings are without barriers.
(1 mile=1.6{{nbsp}}km)
 
===Taiwan===
 
{{Chart|definition=Number of level crossing accidents in Europe.chart|data=Number of level crossing accidents in Europe.tab|Width=270}}
As most railways in Taiwan were built during [[History of Taiwan#Japanese Rule|Japanese administration]], railway level crossings remain very common, though many urban crossings have been eliminated when the railroads have been moved underground, e.g., segments of the [[Western Line]] in [[Taipei City]], or abolished, e.g. the former Danshui TRA Line that is now the [[Danshui Line (TRTS)|DanShui Line]] of the [[Taipei Rapid Transit System]] with no level crossings.
Source: [[Eurostat]]: The rail accident data are provided to Eurostat by the [[European Railway Agency]] (ERA). The ERA manages and is responsible for the entire data collection. The Eurostat data constitute a part of the data collected by ERA and are part of the so-called Common Safety Indicators (CSIs).
Note: Since 2010, use of national definitions is no longer permitted: 2010 CSI data represent the first fully harmonized set of figures.
 
{{PortGraph|width=270|height=200
The Act Governing the Punishment of Violation of Road traffic Regulations ([[s:zh:道路交通管理處罰條例|zh:道路交通管理處罰條例]]) defines railway level crossing violations as:
|name=Number of people killed at level crossing accidents in Europe
#Not obeying a direction of a flagman or insisting to cross when the gate starts lowering or when the bell rings or the (alternate red) lights flash.
|xAxisTitle=Year
#Directly crossing a railway level crossing not guarded by any flagman, gate, bell, or flashing light equipment without stopping as required when a warning sign is present.
|yAxisTitle=Killed
#[[Overtaking]], turning around, backing up, stopping or [[parking]] on a railway level crossing (applicable to drivers of motorized and non-motorized vehicles but not pedestrians).
|legend=Killed at level crossing accidents in Europe
|type=line
|x= 2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015
|y1=
|y2=40 ,39 ,38 ,36 ,27 ,32 ,33 ,30 ,26 ,27
|y3= 63 ,80 ,63 ,51 ,52 ,39 ,57 ,43 ,51 ,50
|y4= 30 ,48 ,39 ,73 ,55 ,62 ,62 ,50 ,42, 55
|y5=23 ,20 ,42 ,29 ,30 ,27 ,27 ,21 ,19 ,25
|y6=5 ,13 ,14 ,13 ,4 ,6 ,6 ,9 ,9 ,2
<!--#802121ae -->
|colors=#80010181,#80010101,#80810101,#80ae3C01,#80a171ae,#c14A23,#FeFe01,#4674C0,#FeAaA5
|y1Title= EU 28
|y2Title= France
|y3Title= Germany
|y4Title= Poland
|y5Title= Hungary
|y6Title= UK
|yAxisMin=0
|showValues=
|yGrid=1
}}
* Source: [[Eurostat]]: Annual number of victims by type of accident [rail_ac_catvict] Last update: 9 February 2017
 
{{PortGraph|width=300|height=200
The same Act provides different penalties against different types of railway level crossing violators as follows, with very heavy penalties against motorists and lighter penalties against bicyclists and pedestrians:
|name=Number of people killed at level crossing accidents in United States
|xAxisTitle=Year
|yAxisTitle=Killed
|legend=Killed at level crossing accidents in United States
|type=line
|x= 1999, 2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018
|y1=402, 425,421,357,334,372,259,269,339,290,249,260,250,230,232,262,237,255,271,270
<!--#802121ae -->
|colors=#80010181,#80010101,#80810101,#80ae3C01,#80a171ae,#c14A23,#FeFe01,#4674C0,#FeAaA5
|y1Title= United states
|yAxisMin=0
|showValues=
|yGrid=1
}}
* Source, Federal Railroad Administration<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://oli.org/about-us/news/collisions-casulties |title = Collisions & Casualties by Year &#124; Operation Lifesaver}}</ref>
 
==Traffic signal preemption==
*Article 54: A driver of a motor vehicle shall be administratively fined 6000 to 12000 [[new Taiwan dollar]]s for a railroad crossing violation. Should an accident occur, the [[driver license]] shall also be revoked, which is ''for life'' pursuant to Article 67. This lifetime revocation used to be absolute, but the amendment of the law proclaimed on [[28 December]] [[2005]] and effective on [[1 July]] [[2006]] has allowed a possible waiver after serving at least 6 years of the revocation.
{{see also|Traffic signal preemption}}
[[Traffic signal]]-controlled intersections next to level crossings on at least one of the roads in the intersection usually feature [[traffic signal preemption]].<ref>[https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/HTM/2003r1/part4/part4d.htm#section4D13 Section 4D.13] and [https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/HTM/2003r1/part8/part8d.htm#section8D07 Section 8D.07] of the [[Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices]]</ref> In the US, approaching trains activate a routine where, before the road lights and barriers are activated, all traffic signal phases go to red, except for the signal immediately after the crossing, which turns green (or flashing yellow) to allow traffic on the tracks to clear (in some cases, there are auxiliary traffic signals prior to the railroad crossing which will turn red, keeping new traffic from crossing the tracks. This is in addition to the flashing lights on the crossing barriers). After enough time to clear the crossing, the signal will turn. The crossing lights may begin flashing and the barriers lower immediately, or this might be delayed until after the traffic light turns red.
 
The operation of a traffic signal, while a train is present, may differ from municipality to municipality. There are a number of possible arrangements:
*Article 75: A driver of a non-motorized vehicle (e.g., a [[bicycle]]) shall be administratively fined 1200 to 2400 New Taiwan dollars for a railroad crossing violation.
#All directions will flash red, turning the intersection into an [[all-way stop]].
#While the train is passing, the traffic parallel to the railroad track will have a flashing yellow, while the other directions face a flashing red light.
#While the train is passing, the traffic parallel to the railroad track will have a green light, while the other directions face a red light.
#Traffic lights can operate relatively normally, with only the blocked direction turning red while the train is passing.
 
== Crossing cameras ==
*Article 80: A pedestrian shall be administratively fined 1200 New Taiwan dollars for a railroad crossing violation.
 
In France, cameras have been installed on some level crossings to obtain images to improve understanding of an incident when a technical investigation occurs.<ref>rapport d'enquête technique sur la collision entre un train Transilien et un véhicule léger survenue le 15 septembre 2019 sur le passage à niveau n° 8 à Roissy-en-Brie (77)</ref>
Accidents at railway level crossings remain a very serious concern. The [[Taiwan Railway Administration]] alone has hundreds of level crossings along its routes of slightly more than 1100&nbsp;km. In average, there is a level crossing in less than 2&nbsp;km. <ref>[http://www.railway.gov.tw/aay00/word/lead/civil/civil1.pdf Statistics of level crossings], [[Taiwan Railway Administration]], 2002 {{zh icon}}</ref> <ref>[http://www.railway.gov.tw/aay00/word/94lead/civil/civil1.pdf Statistics of level crossings], Taiwan Railway Administration, 2005 {{zh icon}}</ref>
 
In England, cameras have been installed at some level crossings.<ref>
Red emergency buttons have been installed to allow the public to report an emergency at a level crossing, such as stalled vehicles or any obstables that would be very dangerous should any train approach. <ref>[http://www.railway.gov.tw/j/Safety/s04_1.htm Level crossing emergency button], Taiwan Railway Administration, {{zh icon}}</ref> However, willfully misusing the emergency button is a ''criminal offense''. In an emergency, the public is asked to:
{{cite web|title=Cameras installed at level crossing to catch motorists breaking the law|url=https://www.globalrailwayreview.com/news/82572/level-crossing-cameras-breaking-law/|website=Global Railway Review|language=en|access-date=6 April 2021|publication-date=}}
#First, press the button and be sure of its activation with a flashing light.
</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/know-how/level-crossings-everything-you-need-to-know1/|website=www.rac.co.uk|access-date=6 April 2021|publication-date=|title=Level crossings - everything you need to know &#124; RAC Drive}}</ref>
#Second, try to clear any obstables, including any vehicles.
#Third, if unable to clear the obstables and the warning bell rings, '''leave quickly'''. "A train is coming and please quickly leave the level crossing" will be announced in [[Mandarin (linguistics)|Mandarin]], [[Taiwanese (linguistics)|Taiwanese]] and [[Hakka (linguistics)|Hakka]].
 
In South Australia, cameras have been installed at some level crossings to deter non-compliance with signals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.treasury.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/515148/201112-bp4-agency-statements-vol4.pdf |page=112 |title=2011–12 budget papers: Transport, Energy and Infrastructure: Targets 2011−12 |publisher=South Australian Government |access-date=9 October 2022}}</ref>
===United Kingdom===
There are 8200 level crossings remaining in the United Kingdom in 2005. Of these, 1600 are road crossings. This number is gradually being reduced as the risk of accident at level crossings is considered high. The director of the [[Health and Safety Executive]] commented in 2004 that "the use of level crossings contributes the greatest potential for catastrophic risk on the railways."{{Fact|date=February 2007}} . Bridges and tunnels are now favoured, and there is a commitment on the part of UK rail authorities not to build new level crossings, and to reduce the number of existing level crossings. The cost of making significant reductions, other than by simply closing the crossings, is substantial, and a number of commentators argue that the money could be better spent. Some 6500 crossings are user-worked crossings or footpaths with very low usage. The removal of crossings can also improve train performance as some crossings have low rail speed limits enforced on them to protect road users.
 
==By country==
In November 2004 there were two major accidents on UK level crossings: one involved a car driver suspected of committing suicide, who caused the death of seven people ([[Ufton Nervet rail crash]]); another involving a train carrying 50 school children resulted in no fatalities but a number of injuries. These incidents have increased efforts to review the placing of level crossings and to eliminate them where this is practicable. In the UK it has also been suggested that cameras similar to the type used to detect drivers who run traffic lights be deployed at level crossings, and that penalties for ignoring signals should be much more severe. A particular problem has been that the responsibility for the road safety at crossings is entirely outside the control of the railways. In 2006 legislative activities are in progress to permit [[Network Rail]] to be involved in the road side safety of crossings. This will allow the introduction of anti-slip surfaces and also barriers to prevent motorists driving around crossing arms and, it is hoped, reduce the number of crossing related deaths.
{{main|Level crossings by country}}
Designs of level crossings vary between countries.
 
==Major accidents==
In the [[United Kingdom]], major crossings were normally situated within easy viewing distance of a [[signal box]], and usually directly adjacent to the signal box. This ensured that the signalman could verify that the road was clear before allowing a train onto the crossing. Many gated crossings have been replaced by lifting barriers, which are easier to mechanise. "Full barriers" consist of barriers each side of the track, which block the full width of the road and "half barriers" consist of a single arm each side of the road, which block only oncoming traffic. Half barriers were considered to have an advantage as motorists are less likely to be stranded on the crossing and unable to exit, but cases where impatient motorists have driven around the barriers have raised safety concerns. Video cameras are now often used at crossings to allow the human operator to be some distance from the crossing. On lightly-used railways many crossings are sited next to station stops or other stopping points and are crew operated. The guard pushes a plunger on a control box and the barriers are lowered. Once lowered an indicator light permits the driver to proceed if the crossing ahead of is clear. After the train has cleared the crossing automatic control equipment raises the barriers.
{{Main|List of level crossing crashes}}
[[File:NTSB aerial view of Bourbonnais grade crossing accident.jpg|thumb|[[1999 Bourbonnais, Illinois train accident|Amtrak train wreck in Bourbonnais, Illinois (US)]], in 1999 was attributed to a malfunction of the warning signals, with fatigue of the driver of a semi truck as a contributing factor.]]
Level crossings present a significant risk of collisions between trains and road vehicles. This list is not a definitive list of the world's worst accidents and the events listed are limited to those where a separate article describes the event in question.
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
To ensure that the barriers are noticed and to draw attention, public road crossings are fitted with a ringing warning bell or siren and with lights. Each crossing point also has a telephone which connects to the local signal box so that in the case of an emergency the signalman's attention can be drawn promptly to the hazard and action can be taken. Some "automatic open crossings", with warning lights and bells but no barriers, were introduced, but their expansion was largely halted after the [[Lockington rail crash]]. Some smaller crossings, particularly pedestrian crossings on low-speed lines consist of nothing but a warning sign and raised pathway across the track itself.
|-
! Accident
! Deaths
! Country
! Year
! class="unsortable" |Ref.
|-
| [[Langenweddingen level crossing disaster]]
| 94
| East Germany
| 1967
| <ref>[https://mx-schroeder.medium.com/fatal-misinterpretation-the-1967-langenweddingen-level-crossing-inferno-49fc6a77664d Langenweddingen level crossing disaster]</ref>
|-
| [[Amritsar train disaster]]
| 58
| India
| 2018
|
|-
| [[Nagpur level crossing disaster]]
| 55
| India
| 2005
| <ref>{{Cite news|title = India train crash deaths reach 55|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4233159.stm|newspaper = BBC|date = 4 February 2005|access-date = 22 June 2015}}</ref>
|-
| [[Manfalut train accident]]
| 51
| Egypt
| 2012
|<ref>{{cite news |title=UPDATE 5-Train ploughs into school bus in Egypt, 50 killed |work=[[Reuters]] |last=Blair |first=Edmund |publisher=[[Thomson Reuters]] |url= https://www.reuters.com/article/egypt-crash-idUSL5E8MH0L220121117 |date=17 November 2012 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Marhanets train and bus collision]]
| 45
| Ukraine
| 2010
|<ref>{{cite news |title=Ukraine train and bus collision kills 42 |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11522009 |publisher=BBC |date=12 October 2010 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Villa Soldati level crossing tragedy]]
| 42
| Argentina
| 1962
|
|-
| [[Polgahawela level crossing accident]]
| 35
| Sri Lanka
| 2005
| <ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/apr/27/srilanka Polgahawela level crossing accident]</ref>
|-
| [[Dorion level crossing accident]]
| 19
| Canada
| 1966
| <ref>{{cite news |date=7 October 2019 |newspaper=[[The Gazette (Montreal)]] |url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/history-through-our-eyes/history-through-our-eyes-oct-7-1966-dorion-bus-tragedy |title=History Through Our Eyes: Oct. 7, 1966, Dorion bus tragedy level crossing accident }}</ref>
|-
| [[Chipman-Lamont school bus-train collision]]
| 17
| Canada
| 1960
| <ref>{{Cite web |title=50th Anniversary of Chipman bus tragedy {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/64255/50th-anniversary-of-chipman-bus-tragedy/ |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| [[2009 Slovak coach and train collision]]
| 12
| Slovakia
| 2009
|<ref name="Slovak bus-rail crash 'kills 11'">{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7903166.stm |title=Slovak bus-rail crash 'kills 11' |date=21 February 2009 |publisher=BBC |access-date=21 February 2009}}</ref>
|-
| [[2011 Flores rail crash|Flores rail crash]]
| 11
| Argentina
| 2011
|<ref>{{cite news |title=Al Menos Once Muertos y 228 Heridos en la Mayor Tragedia con Trenes en la Ciudad en Casi 50 Años |url= http://www.clarin.com/ciudades/tren-embistio-colectivo-Flores-heridos_0_553744795.html |access-date=23 February 2012 |newspaper=Clarín |date=13 September 2011 |___location=Buenos Aires |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Argentina Bus and Trains Crash Killing at Least 11 |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-14900399 |access-date=24 February 2012 |publisher=BBC |date=14 September 2011}}</ref>
|-
| [[Bourbonnais train accident]]
| 11
| United States
| 1999
|<ref>{{cite news |work=WMAQ TV Chicago |publisher=[[NBC]] |url=http://www.nbc5.com/news/3766654/detail.html |title=Driver Sentenced in Deadly Amtrak Crash |date=28 September 2004 |access-date=19 January 2006 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|-
| [[Hixon rail crash]]
| 11
| United Kingdom
| 1968
|<ref name="MoT">{{cite book |last=Ministry of Transport |year=1968 |title=Report of the Public Inquiry into the Accident at Hixon Level Crossing on January 6, 1968 |publisher=HMSO |isbn=978-0-10-137060-8 |url= http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=74 |access-date=24 September 2013}}</ref>
|-
| [[Kerang rail accident]]
| 11
| Australia
| 2007
|<ref>{{cite news |first1=Dan |last1=Oake |last2=Doherty |first2=Ben |last3=Webb |first3=Carolyn |last4=Guerrera |first4=Orietta |title=11 die in train crash |url= http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/six-dead-in-train-crash/2007/06/05/1180809490082.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 |newspaper=[[The Age]] |publisher=[[Fairfax Media]] |date=5 June 2007 |access-date=6 June 2007}}</ref>
|-
| [[Glendale train crash]]
| 11
| United States
| 2005
|<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-metrolink21-2008aug21,0,680687.story |title=Metrolink killer is sentenced to 11 life terms in prison |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |last=Simmons |first=Ann M. |date=21 August 2008 |access-date=21 August 2008}}</ref>
|-
| [[Lockington rail crash]]
| 9
| United Kingdom
| 1986
|<ref>{{cite book |year=1996 |title=British Railway Disasters |___location=Shepperton |publisher=[[Ian Allan Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7110-2470-0 }}{{page needed|date=November 2013}}</ref>
|-
| [[1995 Fox River Grove bus–train collision|Fox River Grove level crossing accident]]
| 7
| United States
| 1995
|<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.cnn.com/US/9510/bus_crash/10-27/ |title=Driver says light did not turn green - October 27, 1995 |publisher=CNN |date=27 October 1995 |access-date=19 November 2008}}</ref>
|-
| [[Ufton Nervet rail crash]]
| 7
| United Kingdom
| 2004
|<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3992537.stm |title=Seven train crash dead are named |publisher=BBC |access-date=30 March 2010 |date=8 November 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060613200207/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3992537.stm |archive-date=13 June 2006 }}</ref>
|-
| [[2013 Ottawa bus–train crash|Ottawa bus–train crash]]
| 6
| Canada
| 2013
|<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/18/world/americas/canada-bus-train-colllision/ | title = 5 dead in Ottawa train-bus collision | access-date = 18 September 2012 | date = 18 September 2012 | work = [[CNN International]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[Valhalla train crash]]
| 6
| United States
| 2015
|<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/nyregion/metro-north-train-hits-vehicle-on-tracks.html |title=Metro-North Crash Kills 7 in Worst Accident of Railroad's History - February 3, 2015 |newspaper=The New York Times|date=3 February 2015 |access-date=3 February 2015}}</ref>
|-
| [[Gerogery level crossing accident]]
| 5
| Australia
| 2001
|<ref name=jkerr>{{cite news |url= http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/13/1084289819358.html |title=Riding a slow train to nowhere |date=14 May 2004 |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|first=Joseph |last=Kerr |publisher=[[Fairfax Media]] |access-date=11 August 2008}}</ref>
|-
| [[2022 Missouri train derailment]]
| 4
| United States
| 2022
|
|-
|[[2019 Westbury train collision]]
|3
|United States
|2019
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=3 dead when LIRR trains hit vehicle that bypassed crossing gates on Long Island |url=https://abc7ny.com/lirr-accident-train-hits-truck-long-island/5158670/ |access-date=2025-04-18 |website=ABC7 New York |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Nosaby level crossing disaster]]
|2
|Sweden
|2004
|
|}
 
==Runway crossings==
The use of pedestrian crossings at stations is now rare, although historically it was common that passengers walked across the line between platforms on branch lines. At [[Settle]], for example, before the footbridge was installed in the 1990s, the time taken while passengers from Leeds walked across the line was happily used to top up the driver's kettle with hot water. With a few exceptions, such as at [[Carmarthen railway station|Carmarthen]], the remaining examples occur only on [[heritage railways]].
[[File:Sumburgh Airport Barrier.webm|thumb|Crossing of the [[A970 road]] over [[Sumburgh Airport]]'s runway in [[Shetland]]. The movable barrier closes when aircraft land or take off.]]
[[File:France road sign A23.svg|thumb|160px|The French sign warning of plane movements on or near the ground was changed in 1977 to comply with the Vienna convention.]]
Aircraft runways sometimes cross roads or rail lines, and require signaling to avoid collisions.
 
===United StatesAustralia===
*[[Sydney Airport]] had a runway crossing, when that runway was extended. The [[Port Botany railway line]] was later deviated in March 1960 to release land for new [[Qantas]] hangars with sharp curves that avoided the runway.<ref>New Track Diversion Permits Airport Expansion ''[[Railway Transportation]]'' May 1960 page 30</ref><ref>The Airport Diversion of the Botany line ''[[Australian Railway History|Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin]]'' issue 274 August 1960 page 121</ref> On 18 June 1950, a [[Douglas DC-3]] operating for [[Ansett Australia]] was involved in a ground collision with a freight train at the crossing.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/274321777 Plane, Train Collide on Runway] ''[[Daily Mirror (Sydney)|Daily Mirror]]'' 18 June 1950 page 2</ref> The accident derailed several train cars, severely damaged the aircraft, and resulted in one minor injury to the aircraft crew.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2785023 Collision at Airport, all Factors Probed] ''[[Canberra Times]]'' 20 June 1950 page 2</ref>
[[Image:Rr crossing.jpg|thumbnail|right|240px|An example of a typical rail crossing in the United States.]]
*[[Burnie Airport]] had a runway crossing over the 05/23 Runway. This crossing was built over the railway line when the airfield was constructed, and has since been decommissioned with the closing of both the railway line and the 05/23 runway.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/WYY%20rail%20crossing%201.htm |title=Wynyard Airport Railway Crossing |publisher=Airways Museum }}</ref>
[[Image:RRxing.JPG|thumb|right|240px|Some level crossings, such as this one in [[Acton, Massachusetts]], are also equipped with sidewalk gates.]]
[[Image:RailroadCross2Tr.jpg|thumb|240px|Montana, USA]]
In the [[United States]] and in countries following [[United States|U.S.]] practices, a locomotive must have a bright headlight and ditch lights (short-throw bright lights located below the headlight), a working bell, and a whistle or [[train horn|horn]] that must be sounded four times (long-long-short-long) as the train approaches the crossing.
 
===Gibraltar===
Some American cities, in the interest of noise abatement, have passed laws prohibiting the sounding of bells and whistles; however, their ability to enforce such rules is debatable. In December [[2003]], the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration published regulations that would create areas where train horns could be silenced, provided that certain safety measures were put in place, such as concrete barriers preventing drivers from circumventing the gates or automatic directional whistles mounted at the crossing (which reduce noise pollution to nearby neighborhoods). Additional information can be found at the [http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/1318 FRA website under "Train horn rule."] Implementation of the new "Quiet Zone" Final Rule was delayed repeatedly but was finally implemented in the summer of 2005.
[[File:Gibraltar Airport Checkpoint.jpg|thumb|Intersection in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar]]
 
[[Winston Churchill Avenue, Gibraltar|Winston Churchill Avenue]] intersects the [[runway]] of [[Gibraltar International Airport]] at surface level; movable barricades close when [[aircraft]] land or take off.
All crossings in the [[United States]] are required to be marked by at least a [[crossbuck]]; most crossings that intersect rural roads have this setup. In the event that the crossing contains more than one railroad track the crossbuck will usually have a small sign below denoting the number of tracks at the crossing. As traffic on the road crossing or the rail crossing increases, safety features are increased accordingly. More heavily trafficked crossings have automatic warning devices (AWDs), which feature alternately flashing red lights to warn automobile drivers and a bell to warn pedestrians. Additional safety is attained through [[boom barrier|crossing gates]] that block automobiles' approach to the tracks when activated. Increasingly, crossings are being fitted with [[four-quadrant gate]]s to prevent circumventing the gates and crossing the tracks.
 
As of March 2023, a tunnel under the runway opened to regular traffic, and the level crossing will only be available to pedestrians, cyclists and e-scooters.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gbc.gi/news/airport-tunnel-will-open-one-minute-past-midnight-friday-morning | title=Airport Tunnel will open at one minute past midnight on Friday morning }}</ref>
Operation of a typical AWD-equipped railroad crossing in the United States is as follows:
===Hong Kong===
After the runway of [[Kai Tak Airport]] was extended in 1943, it intersected with the easternmost section of [[Prince Edward Road]], so all road traffic had to be stopped during takeoffs and landings. The issue was relieved when the authorities constructed a new runway for replacement in September 1958.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thinkhk.com/article/2021-06/30/49909.html|title=香港曾經有一個被馬路貫穿的機場？|lang=zh}}</ref>
 
===Madagascar===
*Approximately 30 seconds before arriving at the crossing, the train trips a [[track circuit]] near the crossing, triggering the crossing signals. The lights begin to flash alternately, and a bell mounted at the crossing begins ringing. After several seconds of flashing lights and ringing bells, the crossing gates (if equipped) begin to lower, which usually takes 5-10 seconds. Some AWDs will silence the bell once the gates are fully lowered; others continue ringing the bells throughout. The lights continue to flash throughout regardless.
*Approximately 15 to 20 seconds before arriving at the crossing, the train begins ringing its engine bell and sounds its horn in accordance with NORAC rule 14L or GCOR rule 5.8.2(7): two long blows, one short blow, and one long blow. This signal and engine bell ringing is prolonged or repeated until the engine occupies the crossing. If the AWD is equipped with a directional horn in accordance with FRA Quiet Zone rules, the AWD may provide the whistle signal instead of the train; however, the engine is required to ring its bell regardless.
*After the train has cleared the crossing, the gates (if equipped) begin to rise, and the bells (if silenced) may begin ringing again. Once the gates have completely risen back to their fully raised position, all warning signals, including the lights and bells, are deactivated.
 
[[File:Rail-run-way-crossing.jpg|thumb|A train crosses the runway in Manakara, Madagascar.]]
Some AWD track circuits are equipped with motion detectors that will deactivate the crossing signal if the train stops or slows significantly before arriving at the crossing.
The&nbsp;Fianarantsoa-Côte Est railway&nbsp;crosses the runway at [[Manakara Airport]]. It is one of the few airports in the world that crosses an active railway line.
 
===New Zealand===
As indicated above, the pattern of the bells at each individual crossing can be different. (These bells should not be confused with the bells that are mounted on the trains themselves.) Generally, the bells follow one of these patterns:
A level crossing near [[Gisborne, New Zealand|Gisborne]], sees the [[Palmerston North - Gisborne Line]] cross one of [[Gisborne Airport]]'s [[runways]]. Aircraft landing on sealed 1310-metre runway 14L/32R are signalled with two red flashing lights on either side of the runway and a horizontal bar of flashing red lights to indicate the runway south of the railway line is closed, and may only land on the {{convert|866|m}} section of the runway north of the railway line. When the full length of the runway is open, a vertical bar of green lights signal to the aircraft, with regular rail signals on either side of the runway indicating trains to stop.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.aip.net.nz/pdf/NZGS_51.1_51.2.pdf |title= Gisborne (NZGS) aerodrome diagram |work= Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand |date=24 September 2009 |access-date=4 January 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.aip.net.nz/pdf/NZGS_46.1.pdf |title= Gisborne (NZGS) Operational Signal Lights |work= Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand |date= 4 September 2003 |access-date= 4 January 2010 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100522031024/http://www.aip.net.nz/pdf/NZGS_46.1.pdf |archive-date= 22 May 2010}}</ref>
 
===Nicaragua===
*The bell begins ringing when the lights begin flashing and ringing ceases when the gates have completely lowered.
The runway of [[Ometepe Airport]] crosses the highway NIC-64.
*The bell begins ringing when the lights begin flashing and ringing ceases when the gates begin to go up (following the passing of the train.)
*The bell begins ringing when the lights begin flashing and ringing temporarily stops when the gates have completely lowered. However, when the gates begin to rise, the bell begins ringing again, and rings until the gates have returned to their original position.
*The final, and most simple, practice is for the bells to begin ringing when the lights begin flashing, keep ringing after the gates have completely lowered, and continue ringing while the gates are rising, only to cease when they have risen completely back to their original position.
 
===Philippines===
[[Image:Mechanical_RR_Crossing_Bell.jpg|thumb|240px|A traditional mechanical crossing bell.]]
As of February 2023, there exists one road-runway crossing at [[Catarman Airport]] in Northern Samar.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Meniano |first=Sarwell |date=15 February 2023 |title=CAAP mulls relocation of Northern Samar Airport |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1195263 |access-date=23 January 2024 |work=Philippine News Agency}}</ref>
 
===Sweden===
A handful of level crossings still use [[wigwag (railroad)|wigwag]] signals, which were developed in the early 1900s by the [[Pacific Electric Railway]] [[interurban]] system in the [[Los Angeles]] region to protect its many level crossings. Though now considered to be antique, around 100 such signals are still in use, almost all on branch lines. By law, these signals must be replaced by the now-standard alternating red lights when they are retired.
The [[Visby Lärbro Line]] between [[Visby]] and [[Lärbro]] crossed the runway of [[Visby Airport]] between 1956 and 1960.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.historiskt.nu/bandata/bandelsdata/Baslista/Alla/bd660.htm |title= Driftplatser som ingår i bandel 660|access-date=19 April 2017}}</ref>
 
===Switzerland===
A special kind of crossing sign assembly was introduced on an experimental basis in [[Ohio]] in 1992, the "Buckeye Crossbuck"[http://www.roadfan.com/ohxbuck.html]. It includes an enhanced crossbuck, reflective and with red lettering, and also a reflective plate reading "YIELD" below the crossbuck, whose sides are bent backwards in order to catch and reflect at a right angle the light of an approaching train. The experiment's final report ("Evaluation of the Buckeye Crossbuck at Public, Passive Railroad/Highway Grade Crossings in Ohio", Ohio Department of Transportation State Job Number 14612, December 2000) gave the device a favorable review[http://www.dot.state.oh.us/research/2000/Traffic/14612-FR.pdf]. However, the plate was rejected for inclusion in the 2003 [[Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices]][http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/ppts/training/2003changes/MUTCD03_Part_8and10.ppt].
Two public roads cross the runway at [[Meiringen Air Base]]. Electrically operated gates close when [[aircraft]] land or take off.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://scanalyst.fourmilab.ch/t/the-military-airfield-with-two-public-roads-crossing-the-runway/3090 |title=The Military Airfield with Two Public Roads Crossing the Runway |last=Walker |first=John |date=25 April 2023 |website= scanalyst.fourmilab.ch|publisher= 24 January 2024|access-date= |quote=}}</ref>
 
===United Kingdom===
A track that will run high-speed trains in excess of 120 mph (193 km/h) is being tested in [[Illinois]] between [[Chicago]] and [[St. Louis, Missouri]]. Here, due to the high speed of the trains, gates that totally prevent road traffic from reaching the tracks are mandatory on all level crossings. Steel mesh nets were tested on some crossings to further prevent collisions, but these were removed because of maintenance issues in 2001.
* '''Northern Ireland''': There was a runway crossing on the [[Belfast–Derry railway line]]. The runway was interlocked with conventional railway block instruments to the control tower.
* '''Scotland''': Crossing of the [[A970 road]] over [[Sumburgh Airport]]'s runway in [[Shetland]].
 
==See also==
A new device called "StopGate" has been installed at four locations, one in [[Madison, Wisconsin]]; another in [[Monroe, Wisconsin]] and two in [[Santa Clara, California]] (on a [[light rail]] system). This system resembles a fortified version of a standard crossing gate, with two larger arms blocking the entire width of the roadway and locking into a securing device on the side of the road opposite the gate pivot mechanism. The gate arms are reinforced with high-strength steel cable, which helps the gate absorb the impact of a vehicle attempting to crash through the gate. The manufacturer claims that the StopGate can arrest a 2,000 [[Kg]] truck within 13 [[feet]] (four [[meter]]s). Already the system has been tested at the Madison crossing, when the system stopped a truck while a [[Wisconsin and Southern Railroad]] train was in the crossing.
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[At-grade intersection]]
* [[At-grade railway]]
*[[Billups Neon Crossing Signal]]
*[[Boom barrier]]
* [[Breakover angle]]
*[[Crossbuck]]
*[[Four-quadrant gate]]
*[[Grade separation]]
*[[Level crossing signals]]
*[[Lists of rail accidents]]
:*[[List of accidents and disasters by death toll#Rail accidents and disasters|List of train accidents by death toll]]
*[[Lists of traffic collisions]]
*[[Occupation crossing]]
*[[Pedestrian crossing]]
*[[Warning sign]]
*[[Whistle post]]
*[[Wigwag (railroad)|Wigwag]]
*[[Level crossings in the United Kingdom]]{{div col end}}
 
==CanadaReferences==
{{reflist}}
Grade crossing protection practices in [[Canada]] are virtually identical to those in the United States, using the same alternating flashing red lights and gate arms. The only significant differences are the crossbucks, which have no wording but are white with a red outline, and the advance-warning sign, which is a yellow diamond shape with a diagram of a track crossing a straight segment of road (similar to a crossroads sign, except that the horizontal road is replaced by a track). Before changes in regulations mandated bilingual (English and French) or no-wording signs, crossbucks were nearly identical to those in the states, except that they read "Railway Crossing" instead of "Railroad Crossing."
 
==Bibliography==
<gallery align="left">
* {{cite book |last1=Hall |first1=Stanley |last2=van der Mark |first2=Peter |year= 2008|title=Level Crossings |___location=Shepperton |publisher=[[Ian Allan Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7110-3308-5}}
Image:Andrejev križ.jpg|Continental Europe uses a St Andrew's Cross to warn road users
Image:Railroad Junction2004 x.JPG|In North America, the words "Railroad Crossing" normally appear on the [[warning sign]] in the US, while in Canada, the sign is blank with red trim.
Image:US roadsign warning round.png|United States traffic signs are often circular
Image:Umlaufgitter.jpg|A fence or chicane may prevent pedestrians running across the track
</gallery>
 
==External links==
== Major Accidents ==
*{{Commons category-inline|Level crossings}}
*[http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/webaps/default.aspx Web Accident Prediction System] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001221111/https://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/webaps/default.aspx |date=1 October 2023 }} - Highway-rail crossing data from the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety Analysis
 
{{Rail tracks}}
* [[Dorion level crossing accident]] &mdash; 1966 - 19 killed
{{Railwaysignalling}}
* [[Hixon rail crash]] &mdash; 1968 - 11 killed
{{Road types}}
* [[Lockington rail crash]] &mdash; 1986 - 9 killed
{{Railway_track_layouts}}
* [[Fox River Grove level crossing accident]] &mdash; 1995 - 7 killed
{{Authority control}}
* [[Bourbonnais train accident]] &mdash; 1999 - 11 killed
* [[Gerogery level crossing accident]] &mdash; 2001 - 5 killed
* [[Ufton Nervet rail crash]] &mdash; 2004 - 7 killed
* [[Glendale train crash]] &mdash; 2005 - 11 killed
* [[Polgahawela level crossing collision]], [[Sri Lanka]] &mdash; 2005: a bus tries to beat the train at a level crossing; at least 35 people are killed.
* [[Johannesburg level crossing accident]] &mdash; 2005: 9 killed.
* [[Nagpur level crossing disaster]] &mdash; 2005 - 55 killed.
 
== See also ==
 
* [[At-grade intersection]]
* [[Crossbuck safety]]
* [[Eugene Patrick Prendergast]]
* [[List of rail accidents]]
* [[List of road accidents]]
* [[Wigwag (railroad)|Wigwag]]
* [[List of level crossing accidents]]
 
== References ==
<references />
 
==External links==
{{commonscat|Level crossings}}
* [http://www.unescap.org/tctd/pubs/safetytoc.htm Cost-effective Systems for Railway Level-Crossing Protection] from the [[UN]] Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
* [http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/officeofsafety/ Train horn rule] at the US Federal Railroad Administration
* [http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/HTM/2003r1/part8/part8-toc.htm Part 8. Traffic Controls for Highway-Rail Grade Crossings] of the U.S. [[Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices]]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3991147.stm Fatal example of crossings danger] - News story from the [[BBC]] on a 2004 accident in which 7 people died.
* [http://www.levelcrossings.nsw.gov.au Level Crossing Strategy Council] - New South Wales, Australia.
* [http://levelcrossingnews.blogspot.com Level Crossing News] - News and updates of level crossing incidents in the UK.
* [http://www.rxrsignals.net Mike's Railroad Crossing Website] - Over 11,000 photos of railroad crossings from signal fans around the United States, Canada, and elsewhere around the world.
 
[[Category:Traffic signs]]
[[Category:Level crossings| ]]
[[Category:Rail infrastructurejunction types]]
[[Category:Road infrastructure]]
[[Category:Road hazards]]
 
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
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[[de:Bahnübergang]]
[[es:Paso a nivel]]
[[fr:Passage à niveau]]
[[it:Incrocio ferroviario]]
[[nl:Overweg]]
[[ja:踏切]]
[[pl:Przejazd kolejowy]]
[[ru:Железнодорожный переезд]]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_crossing"