Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Search

Grade Crossings Regulations (SOR/2014-275)

Regulations are current to 2024-03-06 and last amended on 2021-11-26. Previous Versions

New Grade Crossing (continued)

Signs and Warning System (continued)

Public Grade Crossing (continued)

Marginal note:Railway Crossing Ahead sign and Advisory Speed Tab sign

  •  (1) A Railway Crossing Ahead sign with an Advisory Speed Tab sign must be installed if

    • (a) the Railway Crossing sign is not clearly visible within the stopping sight distance; or

    • (b) the speed of a motor vehicle on the road approach needs to be reduced in order to correspond to the road crossing design speed.

  • Marginal note:Standards

    (2) The Railway Crossing Ahead sign and the Advisory Speed Tab sign must meet the standards set out in article 8.2 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Prepare to Stop at Railway Crossing sign

  •  (1) A Prepare to Stop at Railway Crossing sign must be installed if

    • (a) the road approach is an expressway, taking into account the characteristics set out for expressways in Table 10-4 of the Grade Crossings Standards;

    • (b) at least one set of front light units on the warning system is not clearly visible within the stopping sight distance of at least one of the lanes of the road approach; or

    • (c) the weather conditions at the grade crossing repeatedly obscure the visibility of the warning system.

  • Marginal note:Standards

    (2) The Prepare to Stop at Railway Crossing sign must meet the standards set out in article 18 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Warning System

Marginal note:Warning system

  •  (1) A warning system must be installed at a grade crossing that corresponds to the specifications set out in article 9.1 or 9.5 of the Grade Crossings Standards, as applicable, and must meet the applicable standards set out in articles 12 to 16 of those Standards.

  • Marginal note:Exception

    (2) If railway equipment is required to stop at the grade crossing, a traffic signal that is activated by the presence of the railway equipment may be installed at the grade crossing instead of a warning system, or the railway company may manually protect the grade crossing instead of installing a warning system.

Marginal note:Warning system with a gate

  •  (1) A warning system with a gate must be installed at a grade crossing that corresponds to the specifications set out in article 9.2 or 9.6 of the Grade Crossings Standards, as applicable, and must meet the standards set out in articles 12 to 16 of those Standards.

  • Marginal note:Gate arm clearance time

    (2) In the case of a grade crossing that corresponds to the specifications set out in article 9.2 of the Grade Crossings Standards, the gate arm of the warning system must start to descend at the end of the time calculated in accordance with article 10.4 of those Standards.

Marginal note:Interconnected traffic signal

 A warning system installed at a grade crossing that corresponds to the specifications set out in article 19.1 of the Grade Crossings Standards must be interconnected with the traffic signal, and the interconnection must meet the standards set out in articles 19.2 to 19.4 of those Standards.

Private Grade Crossing

Application

Marginal note:Application

 Sections 48 to 56 apply to a new grade crossing that is a private grade crossing.

Signs

Marginal note:Railway Crossing sign and Number of Tracks sign

 If a Railway Crossing sign and a Number of Tracks sign are installed at a grade crossing, they must meet the standards set out in article 8.1 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Stop Ahead sign

 A Stop Ahead sign must be installed if the Stop sign is not clearly visible within the stopping sight distance, and must meet the standards set out in article 8.3 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Railway Crossing Ahead sign and Advisory Speed Tab sign

  •  (1) A Railway Crossing Ahead sign with an Advisory Speed Tab sign must be installed if

    • (a) the Railway Crossing sign is not clearly visible within the stopping sight distance; or

    • (b) the speed of a motor vehicle on the road approach needs to be reduced in order to correspond to the road crossing design speed.

  • Marginal note:Standards

    (2) The Railway Crossing Ahead sign and the Advisory Speed Tab sign must meet the standards set out in article 8.2 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Prepare to Stop at Railway Crossing sign

  •  (1) A Prepare to Stop at Railway Crossing sign must be installed if

    • (a) at least one set of front light units on the warning system is not clearly visible within the stopping sight distance of at least one of the lanes of a road approach; or

    • (b) the weather conditions at the grade crossing repeatedly obscure the visibility of the warning system.

  • Marginal note:Standards

    (2) The Prepare to Stop at Railway Crossing sign must meet the standards set out in article 18 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Warning System

Marginal note:Application

 Sections 53 to 56 do not apply to a grade crossing with a railway design speed of 25 km/h or less if

  • (a) access to the road leading to the grade crossing is controlled by a locked barrier; or

  • (b) the grade crossing is for the exclusive use of the private authority and is not used by the public.

Marginal note:Warning system

  •  (1) A warning system must be installed at a grade crossing that corresponds to the specifications set out in article 9.3 of the Grade Crossings Standards and must meet the applicable standards set out in articles 12 to 16 of those Standards.

  • Marginal note:Alternative — limited use

    (2) If the grade crossing provides access to fewer than three private dwelling-places and does not provide access to a business, a limited use warning system, and signs, that meet the standards set out in Appendix B of the Grade Crossings Standards, may be installed at the grade crossing instead of the warning system referred to in subsection (1).

  • Marginal note:Alternative — walk light

    (3) A limited use warning system with a walk light, and signs, that meet the standards set out in Appendix C of the Grade Crossings Standards, may be installed at the grade crossing instead of the warning system referred to in subsection (1) or (2), if

    • (a) access to the road is controlled by a locked barrier; or

    • (b) the grade crossing is for the exclusive use of the private authority and is not used by the public.

  • Marginal note:Exception

    (4) If railway equipment is required to stop at the grade crossing, a traffic signal that is activated by the presence of the railway equipment may be installed at the grade crossing instead of a warning system or the railway company may manually protect the grade crossing instead of installing a warning system.

Marginal note:Sidewalk, path or trail

 A warning system must be installed at a grade crossing that corresponds to the specifications set out in article 9.5 of the Grade Crossings Standards and must meet the applicable standards set out in articles 12 to 16 of those Standards.

Marginal note:Warning system with a gate

  •  (1) A warning system with a gate must be installed at a grade crossing that corresponds to the specifications set out in article 9.4 or 9.6 of the Grade Crossings Standards, as applicable, and must meet the standards set out in articles 12 to 16 of those Standards.

  • Marginal note:Gate arm clearance time

    (2) The gate arm of the warning system must start to descend at the end of the time calculated in accordance with article 10.4 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Interconnected traffic signal

 A warning system installed at a grade crossing that corresponds to the specifications set out in article 19.1 of the Grade Crossings Standards must be interconnected with the traffic signal, and the interconnection must meet the standards set out in articles 19.2 to 19.4 of those Standards.

Existing Grade Crossing

Public Grade Crossing

Design Vehicle

Marginal note:Selection

 A design vehicle that corresponds to the use of an existing grade crossing that is a public grade crossing must be selected.

Cumulative Requirements

Marginal note:Basic requirements

 An existing grade crossing that is a public grade crossing must meet the standards set out in Part B of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Additional requirements

 In addition to meeting the requirements of section 58, an existing grade crossing that is a public grade crossing must meet the requirements of sections 60 to 71 beginning on

  • (a) November 28, 2022, in the case of a high-priority grade crossing; or

  • (b) November 28, 2024, in any other case.

Crossing Surface and Road Approach

Marginal note:Crossing surface

 A crossing surface must meet the standards set out in article 5 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Road approach

 A road approach must meet the standards set out in article 6.1 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Signs

Marginal note:Railway Crossing sign

 A Railway Crossing sign must meet the standards set out in articles 8.1.3 and 8.1.4 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Emergency Notification sign

 An Emergency Notification sign must be installed at a grade crossing in accordance with the standards set out in article 8.5 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Stop sign

  •  (1) A Stop sign must be installed at a grade crossing without a warning system if the road crossing design speed is less than 15 km/h.

  • Marginal note:Standards

    (2) The Stop sign and its installation must meet the standards set out in article 8.4 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Stop Ahead sign

 A Stop Ahead sign must be installed if the Stop sign is not clearly visible within the stopping sight distance, and must meet the standards set out in article 8.3 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Railway Crossing Ahead sign and Advisory Speed Tab sign

  •  (1) A Railway Crossing Ahead sign with an Advisory Speed Tab sign must be installed if

    • (a) the Railway Crossing sign is not clearly visible within the stopping sight distance; or

    • (b) the speed of a motor vehicle on the road approach needs to be reduced in order to correspond to the road crossing design speed.

  • Marginal note:Standards

    (2) The Railway Crossing Ahead sign and the Advisory Speed Tab sign must meet the standards set out in article 8.2 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Prepare to Stop at Railway Crossing sign

  •  (1) A Prepare to Stop at Railway Crossing sign must be installed if

    • (a) the road approach is an expressway, taking into account the characteristics set out for expressways in Table 10-4 of the Grade Crossings Standards;

    • (b) at least one set of front light units on the warning system is not clearly visible within the stopping sight distance of at least one of the lanes of the road approach; or

    • (c) the weather conditions at the grade crossing repeatedly obscure the visibility of the warning system.

  • Marginal note:Standards

    (2) The Prepare to Stop at Railway Crossing sign must meet the standards set out in articles 18.1 and 18.2 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Warning System

Marginal note:Light distribution and intensity

  •  (1) The distribution and intensity of the light from a warning system must meet the standards set out in article 13 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

  • Marginal note:Alignment of light units

    (2) The alignment of each set of light units must meet the standards set out in articles 14.2 to 14.6 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Warning time

 Before railway equipment reaches a crossing surface, the warning system must operate in accordance with articles 16.1.1(a) to (c) and 16.2.2 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Cut-out circuits

 If railway equipment is operated, left standing or stopped in a manner that regularly causes, or will regularly cause, the activation of the warning system at a grade crossing other than for the purpose of crossing that grade crossing, the warning system must contain circuits that meet the standards set out in article 16.3.1 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Directional stick circuit

 The directional stick circuit of a warning system must meet the standards set out in article 16.4 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Private Grade Crossing

Design Vehicle

Marginal note:Selection

 A design vehicle that corresponds to the use of an existing grade crossing that is a private grade crossing must be selected.

Cumulative Requirements

Marginal note:Railway Crossing sign and Number of Tracks sign

 A Railway Crossing sign and a Number of Tracks sign that are installed at an existing grade crossing that is a private grade crossing must meet the standards set out in Part B of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Additional requirements

 In addition to meeting the requirements of section 73, an existing grade crossing that is a private grade crossing must meet the requirements of sections 76 to 81 beginning on November 28, 2024.

Marginal note:Requirements respecting warning systems

  •  (1) An existing grade crossing that is a private grade crossing must meet the requirements of sections 82 to 85 beginning on November 28, 2024.

  • Marginal note:Exception — certain private grade crossings

    (2) Sections 82 to 85 do not apply to a grade crossing with a railway design speed of 25 km/h or less if

    • (a) access to the road leading to the grade crossing is controlled by a locked barrier; or

    • (b) the grade crossing is for the exclusive use of the private authority and is not used by the public.

  • Marginal note:Exception — limited use warning systems

    (3) Sections 82 to 85 do not apply to a limited use warning system of a type referred to in Appendix B of the Grade Crossings Standards or to a limited use warning system with a walk light of a type referred to in Appendix C of those Standards.

 

Date modified: