Rule to Make Trains More Visible to Motorists at Grade Crossings -- January 2005

Reflective materials will be installed on the sides of locomotives and freight rail cars as a safety measure to make trains more visible to motorists at railroad crossings under a Final Rule published by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in today’s Federal Register.

Nearly one quarter of all highway-rail grade crossing collisions involve motor vehicles running into trains occupying grade crossings. The large size and dark colorization of trains in combination with poor lighting or limited visibility may contribute to motorists having difficulty detecting the train in their path. The reflective material will help reduce the number and severity of this type of accident by giving motorists an additional visual warning of the presence of a train.

Reflectorization has become an indispensable tool for enhancing visibility and safety in virtually all modes of transportation. Extending the benefits of reflective materials to railroads will improve highway-rail grade crossing safety and prevent many avoidable accidents.

The Final Rule on Reflectorization of Rail Freight Rolling Stock requires railroads to install yellow or white reflective materials on locomotives over a 5-year timeframe and on freight rail cars over a 10-year period. The reflective materials will be installed on all newly constructed locomotives and freight rail cars and on existing ones during periodic maintenance or repair, unless alternate implementation plans have been developed that meet the requisite timetables. The effective date of the rule is March 4, 2005.

The Final Rule published today is the most recent effort by FRA to increase the visibility of trains at highway-rail grade crossings. Previously, FRA issued a regulation requiring locomotives to have headlamps and auxiliary lights to help motorists better judge the distance and speed of approaching trains.

These and many other initiatives of the FRA, the rail industry, states, and local communities have dramatically improved highway-rail grade crossing safety. Since 1994, the number of vehicle-train collisions at highway-rail grade crossings has decreased by 41 percent and the number of fatalities has been reduced by 47 percent.