Private Crossings

Private highway-rail crossings are generally located on roadways not open to use by the public. Usually, an agreement between the land owner and the railroad governs the use of the private crossing. Typical types of private crossings are as follows:

•Farm crossings that provide access between tracts of land lying on both sides of the railroad

•Industrial plant crossings that provide access between plant facilities on both sides of the railroad

•Residential access crossings over which the occupants and their invitees reach private residences from another road, frequently a public road paralleling and adjacent to the railroad ROW

•Utility access crossings over which a utility company or public authority reach electric, sewer, water, flood control, or other facilities from another road

•Temporary crossings established for the duration of a private construction project or other seasonal activity

•In some instances, changes in land use may result in a need for the private crossing to become a public crossing. If the public uses a crossing, appropriate traffic control devices should be installed for warning and guidance. Usually the conversion of a private crossing will be governed by a construction and maintenance agreement with the public road authority and the railroad. Some State laws may have minimum traffic control device requirements that apply to Note: This document summarizes current practices but does not set standards; practitioners are advised to check current local standards and requirements (refer to Disclaimer and Quality Assurance Statement). Users of the data provided within this document should anticipate possible variations from current information within this document should anticipate possible variations from current information within the FRA databases, which are updated monthly. 156the conversion of a private crossing to a public crossing. However, State and federal funds are generally not available for use at private crossings. As with public crossings, the first option to be considered for improving private crossings is closure. Adjacent public crossings should be evaluated to determine if they can be used instead of the private crossing. Every effort to close the crossing should be made. Some private crossings have sufficient train and roadway traffic volume to necessitate active traffic control devices. Considerations for the installation of these devices are the same as for public crossings. Federal funds and, often, State funds cannot be used for the installation of traffic control devices at private crossings. The railroad and the landowner usually come to an agreement regarding the financing of the devices.