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General

Operational Testing of Locomotive-Mounted Strobe Lights

This report describes revenue-service tests of locomotive-mounted strobe lights used to make trains more conspicuous to motorists at rail-highway crossings. The testing, conducted in cooperation with four railroads, had the objectives of assuring practicality compatibility with normal operations...

Rail-Highway Crossing Warning Device Life Cycle Cost Analysis

The Highway Safety Acts of 1973 and 1976, and the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1978 provide funds to individual states to improve safety at public rail-highway crossings. This report was undertaken in support of a U.S. DOT effort to improve the efficient allocation and use of these...

Grade Crossing Accident Injury Minimization Study

The purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate potential concepts for reducing injuries to highway occupants and train occupants in rail-highway grade crossing collisions. A review of railroad, highway vehicle, and aviation sources was made. The identified concepts were principally those...

Rail-Highway Crossing Resource Allocation Model

This report describes a methodology developed at the Transportation Systems Center for the Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Highway Administration to aid in determining the most effective allocation of funds to improve safety at rail-highway crossings. One way to improve safety is...

Freight Car Reflectorization

This report examines five factors affecting the safety impact and costs associated with application of retroreflective materials to railroad freight cars to reduce the number of rail-highway crossing accidents in which motorists run into the side of a train in darkness. Measurements and...