Of the more than 200,000 railroad crossings in the U.S., 15 have been the site of ten or more incidents during the last decade, according to a list released by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). (See list below). While fatalities have not occurred at all 15 crossings, repeated incidents increase the potential for injuries and loss of life. Surprisingly, the top three crossings are in one state: Arizona.

The identification of the high-danger crossings is part of the FRA’s effort to improve railroad crossing safety across the nation, and comes on the heels of FRA Administrator Sarah E. Feinberg’s recent letter to state DOT secretaries in which she provided a detailed round up of federal financial resources and FRA expertise available to help states reduce accidents at the crossings.

“Knowing where repeat injuries and fatalities occur helps states focus their time and resources on areas where they can have an impact,”said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.  “Preventing incidents and fatalities at railroad crossings is one of the Department’s top priorities.”

Many of the 15 crossings are at busy, multiple lane intersections in neighborhoods with significant truck traffic or have tracks crossings roadways on a diagonal. Many crossings close to a traffic intersection also have their warning systems interconnected to traffic lights. If sequenced and working correctly, these interconnected systems can help prevent vehicles from stopping over railroad tracks where there is limited roadway between the tracks and the nearby intersection. In February, FRA reissued a safety advisory and sent a letter that called on states to partner with railroads to verify that these interconnected systems account for current highway traffic patterns. Fifty percent of the crossings FRA released today have interconnected systems.

Last year, FRA launched a new, comprehensive campaign to reverse the uptick in fatalities at railroad crossings. The campaign includes partnering with tech companies to use FRA data that pinpoints the country’s approximately 200,000 railroad crossings and add crossing alerts to map applications.  FRA has also worked with local law enforcement to increase enforcement around railroad crossings.  In 2015, 244 individuals died at railroad crossings, down from 264 in 2014.

In March, FRA launched a redesigned website to serve as a one-stop shop to help drivers, pedestrians, and law enforcement stay safe around railroad crossings.  The launch follows the agency’s award of nearly $10 million in grants for nine projects in eight states to upgrade and increase the safety of railroad crossings along energy routes.

Crossings with 10 or more incidents during the last decade
Click on the crossing ID for a Google Street View of the crossing.