Railroad Crossings

There are four general types of railroad-highway crossings:
  1. Railroad Over (roadway underpass grade separation):
    Railroad structure crosses over roadway and/or sidewalk
    .
  2. Railroad Under (roadway overpass
    grade separation
    ): Railroad crosses under a roadway and/or sidewalk.
  3. Grade Crossing: Roadway crosses railroad tracks at-grade (same level as roadway) with or without adjacent sidewalks.
  4. Pedestrian Pathway Crossings:
    Pathway
     crosses railroad tracks at grade, but more than 25 feet from an adjacent parallel roadway
    grade crossing
    .
Crossings are further defined by:
  • Public versus private railroad crossings.
    • Public crossings are typically located on public roadways where both sides of the crossing are maintained by a public agency and the road is open for public use.
    • Private crossings are typically located at driveways and on private roadways or where one or both approaches are maintained by a private entity.
      This also includes a roadway that is owned by a public road authority, but gated, for example, a municipal water treatment plant
      .
  • Active versus passive warning traffic control devices.
    • Active warning devices contain train-activated components such as mast flashers, cantilevers, bells, and/or gates.
    • Passive warning devices are non-train activated roadway signs for traffic control.