Railroad crossbuck

What it means

The crossbuck is the basic sign at a passive rail crossing, and it carries a legal instruction, not just a label: it marks a railway crossing where the driver must yield the right of way to any approaching train. Trains cannot steer, brake quickly or swerve, and a typical freight train needs well over a kilometre to stop from line speed, so the entire duty of avoidance sits with the road vehicle. Where the crossing has additional protection, flashing lights or gates accompany the crossbuck, but the underlying yield obligation comes from the crossbuck itself.

How it gets misread

The classic fatal misread is treating the crossing as safe because no train is visible, or because the schedule suggests one is not due. Trains do not run to schedules reliably enough to bet a crossing on it, and from a driver's angle a train approaching at line speed can appear stationary or surprisingly distant.

What to do

Slow, look both ways along the track and listen with the radio low. Cross only when you can clear the entire crossing without stopping, and never begin a crossing when traffic ahead might box you in on the tracks. If signals are present and active, stop and wait regardless of what you can or cannot see.

Practise this rule

• Railroad Crossing Signals: Stop and Wait | CO

  The red lights at a railway crossing begin flashing and the gates start lowering as you approach. You cannot see a train. What should you do?

• Round Yellow Sign With RR Marking | CO

  You pass a round yellow sign carrying a black X and the letters RR. What does it warn you about, and what should you do?

• Always Stop at These Crossings | CO

  Which driver has to bring the vehicle to a stop at every railroad crossing regardless of whether a train is coming or the signals are active?

• Stalling Across the Rails | CO

  Your vehicle stalls on a railroad crossing just as the signals begin to flash. What is the best action?

More regulatory signs

• Stop →
• Four-way stop →

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