DOT Secretary Ray LaHood announced new regulations June 12 requiring railroads to install signs at highway-rail grade and pathway crossings with telephone numbers the public can use to alert railroad companies to unsafe conditions.

“Safety is our highest priority,” said LaHood. “The sooner railroads can be made aware of potentially unsafe conditions, the faster they can respond to ensure the safety of everyone driving over or walking across highway-rail crossings.”

Under the final rule published in the Federal Register, railroads must establish Emergency Notification Systems (ENS) by installing clear and readable signs with toll-free telephone numbers at crossings so the public can report unsafe situations and for railroads to respond to malfunctioning warning signals, vehicles stalled on the tracks, or other emergency situations.

“The signs will help reduce the risk of certain highway-rail crossing collisions,” said FRA Administrator Joseph C. Szabo. “They will tell the public who to contact if they come upon a vehicle stalled on the tracks, or see problems involving flashing lights and gates.”

This regulation applies to any rail system that dispatches or otherwise authorizes train movement through a crossing.

Based on comments received in response to its proposed rule, railroads without an existing ENS will have until July 2015 to establish one. Railroads that currently have an ENS in place may be able to retain existing signs, or will have until July 2015 or July 2017 to replace signs depending upon several factors.