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Grade Crossings Regulations (SOR/2014-275)

Regulations are current to 2024-10-30 and last amended on 2021-11-26. Previous Versions

Sightlines (continued)

Obstruction of Sightlines (continued)

Marginal note:Unattended railway equipment

 A company must not leave unattended any railway equipment that obstructs the sightlines.

Changes

Marginal note:Changes to grade crossing

 The sightlines at a grade crossing must meet the requirements of section 20 if

  • (a) a line of railway is added within the sightlines of the grade crossing;

  • (b) the class of track referred to in column 1 of the table to article 7.1.2 of the Grade Crossings Standards changes, taking into account the maximum allowable operating speed set out in column 2 or 3 of that table, as applicable;

  • (c) the design vehicle changes; or

  • (d) an increase in the road crossing design speed results in a change to the specification set out in column B of Table 10-2 of the Grade Crossings Standards to which the road approach corresponds, taking into account the characteristics set out for rural roads in Table 10-3 of those Standards or the characteristics set out for urban roads in Table 10-4 of those Standards, as applicable.

New Grade Crossing

Prohibition

Marginal note:Construction

 A person must not construct a grade crossing if

  • (a) the railway design speed would be more than 177 km/h (110 mph); or

  • (b) the road approach of the proposed grade crossing would be a freeway, taking into account the characteristics set out for rural roads in Table 10-3 of the Grade Crossings Standards or the characteristics set out for urban roads in Table 10-4 of those Standards, as applicable.

Design and Construction

Marginal note:Application

 Sections 31 to 36 apply to the design and construction of a new grade crossing.

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 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

  •  (1) The location of a public grade crossing must meet the standards set out in article 11 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

  • (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a public grade crossing where, at the road approach, access is for the exclusive use of pedestrians and non-motor vehicles.

Marginal note:Departure times

 Departure times must be calculated in accordance with article 10.3 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Design vehicle

 A design vehicle must be selected for the design of a grade crossing.

Marginal note:Road crossing design speed

 A road crossing design speed must be selected for the design of a private grade crossing.

Signs and Warning System

Public Grade Crossing

Application

Marginal note:Application

 Sections 38 to 46 apply to a new grade crossing that is a public grade crossing.

Signs

Marginal note:Railway Crossing sign and Number of Tracks sign

 A Railway Crossing sign — and, if there is more than one track, a Number of Tracks sign — must be installed at a grade crossing and meet the standards set out in article 8.1 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 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.

 

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