The Grade Crossings Program focuses on technical aspects of the highway-railroad intersection to support the FRA Office of Safety. This program addresses evaluation methodologies, visual and audio warnings, motor-vehicle and train presence detection, crossing geometry, crossing gate and flashing light technologies, the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) prototype demonstrations and the impact of the National ITS Architecture.  ITS offers the potential for deploying low-cost innovative warning systems that may have greater effectiveness than passive warning devices.

The risks posed to both highway and rail users have been examined in new risk assessment evaluations.  These risk assessments are necessary to develop a more precise understanding of the risks posed by grade crossings and in evaluating proposals to decrease these risks.  Research efforts are being coordinated with other operating administrations in the US Department of Transportation, the Transportation Research Board (TRB ) , Transport Canada (TC ) , and the United Kingdom's Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB ) .

Click HERE for reports and publications on grade crossings research and development.