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Arkansas driving lesson · Work Zones, Signs & Signals

Railroad crossings

A 4-minute lesson from the Arkansas course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
4 minutes
Course unit
Work Zones, Signs & Signals
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
40, 41, 42

A train can't swerve and needs a long distance to stop, so the crossing is always your job. Learn the signs, lights and gates, and never try to beat a train.

Know the rule

Obey all railroad warning signs and never go around barriers. Never try to beat an oncoming train, and never start across without enough room on the other side of the tracks.

Handbook p. 40 ↗

Know the rule

With a manual transmission, don't shift gears while crossing the tracks, so the engine doesn't stall.

Handbook p. 40 ↗

Know the rule

The round black-on-yellow advance warning sign is placed ahead of a public crossing: slow down, look and listen for a train, and be prepared to stop.

Handbook p. 40 ↗
Railroad crossing ahead
Round advance warning sign

Know the rule

Pavement markings mean the same as the advance warning sign: an "X" with the letters "RR" and a no-passing marking on two-lane roads. There may also be a NO PASSING ZONE sign and a white stop line before the tracks.

Handbook p. 40 ↗

Know the rule

The crossbuck is a white "X"-shaped sign with black letters. It marks the crossing, and you must yield the right-of-way to the train.

Handbook p. 40 ↗
Railroad crossbuck
Crossbuck sign

Know the rule

Flashing red lights mean a train is present. Even if the lights keep flashing and no train appears, don't cross. When gates are down the road is closed, and crossing is unsafe and illegal.

Handbook p. 41 ↗

Know the rule

If the gates start coming down as you begin to cross, keep going, even if it means you will break the gate.

Handbook p. 41 ↗

Know the rule

At a crossing with no safety barrier, cross only after checking both directions.

Handbook p. 41 ↗

ENS sign

Emergency Notification System sign at each crossing: gives the railroad's emergency phone number and the crossing ID so you can report a problem.

Handbook p. 41 ↗

Know the rule

An EXEMPT sign means the crossing was abandoned or its use discontinued; follow local stopping procedure. It's yellow with black letters under the advance warning sign, or white with black letters under the crossbuck.

Handbook p. 41 ↗

Railroad safety tips:

  • Never park or stop on railroad tracks
  • Look up and down the track before crossing
  • Always expect a train, even at a crossing where you've never seen one
  • Never underestimate a train's speed and distance
  • Obey all crossing signals
Handbook p. 42 ↗

Know the rule

A number on a sign under the crossbuck shows how many tracks there are. Watch for trains from either direction, and cross only when a passing train is well down the tracks.

Handbook p. 42 ↗

Put it into practice

A freight train clears a two-track crossing and the lights are still flashing. Stay stopped: a second train may be coming on the other track. Go only when the lights stop and you can see both tracks are clear.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

What does a crossbuck sign require a driver to do?
  1. Stop only if a train is visible
  2. Proceed at reduced speed without stopping
  3. Yield the right-of-way to a train
  4. Sound the horn before crossing

Answer: Yield the right-of-way to a train

The white X-shaped crossbuck marks the grade crossing and requires drivers to yield to a train.

Handbook p. 40 ↗
What should a driver do upon seeing the round advance railroad warning sign?
  1. Slow down, look and listen for a train, and be ready to stop
  2. Speed up to clear the tracks quickly
  3. Ignore it unless gates are visible
  4. Stop fully, even with no train coming

Answer: Slow down, look and listen for a train, and be ready to stop

The advance warning sign tells drivers to slow down, look and listen, and be prepared to stop.

Handbook p. 40 ↗
When red lights are flashing at a railroad crossing, what does that mean?
  1. A train has already passed
  2. The crossing is closed for maintenance
  3. A train is present
  4. The signal is malfunctioning

Answer: A train is present

Flashing red lights at a crossing mean a train is present; do not cross.

Handbook p. 41 ↗
If the gates begin lowering while you are already crossing the tracks, what should you do?
  1. Stop immediately on the tracks
  2. Reverse back off the tracks
  3. Stop and turn on your hazard lights
  4. Keep going, even if it means breaking the gate

Answer: Keep going, even if it means breaking the gate

If gates start coming down as you're already crossing, continue through rather than stopping on the tracks.

Handbook p. 41 ↗
What does a numbered sign below a crossbuck indicate?
  1. The posted speed limit through that particular crossing
  2. How many separate tracks are at that crossing
  3. The distance to the next crossing
  4. The train company's route number

Answer: How many separate tracks are at that crossing

A number below the cross buck tells drivers how many tracks are present, so they watch for more than one train.

Handbook p. 42 ↗
What does a yellow EXEMPT sign below the advance warning sign mean?
  1. The crossing requires a mandatory stop for all vehicles
  2. The crossing is for pedestrians only
  3. The crossing has no posted speed limit
  4. The crossing has been abandoned or its use discontinued

Answer: The crossing has been abandoned or its use discontinued

An EXEMPT sign means the crossing has been abandoned or is no longer in use; follow local procedure on stopping.

Handbook p. 41 ↗
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