TM14-Advanced Railroad Grade Crossing
Status
Planned
Description
This service package manages highway traffic at highway–rail intersections (HRIs) where operational requirements demand advanced features (e.g., where rail operational speeds are greater than 80 miles per hour). This service package includes all capabilities from the Standard Railroad Grade Crossing service package and augments these with additional safety features to mitigate the risks associated with higher rail speeds and leverage Connected Vehicle technologies. The active warning systems supported by this service package include positive barrier systems that preclude entrance into the intersection when the barriers are activated. Like the Standard package, the HRI equipment is activated on notification by wayside interface equipment which detects, or communicates with the approaching train. In this service package, the wayside equipment provides additional information about the arriving train so that the train's direction of travel, estimated time of arrival, and estimated duration of closure may be derived. This service package will alert and/or warn drivers who are approaching an at–grade railroad crossing if they are on a crash–imminent trajectory to collide with a crossing or approaching train. This enhanced information may be conveyed to the driver prior to, or in context with, warning system activation. This service package also includes additional detection capabilities that enable it to detect an entrapped or otherwise immobilized vehicle within the HRI and provide an immediate notification to highway and railroad officials.