roadwise.Open study app

Montana driving lesson · Signs, Signals & Markings

Railroad crossings

A 3-minute lesson from the Montana course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

Study this lesson in the app Back to the course
Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Signs, Signals & Markings
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
43, 63, 96

A train can't swerve and needs a very long distance to stop. Never try to beat one across the tracks. Learn the warning devices, and stop whenever there's any question about safety.

Know the rule

Stop no closer than 15 feet from the nearest rail when signals, gates, a stop sign or a flagman show a train is coming, or when a train is within 1,500 feet or clearly visible and an obvious hazard.

Handbook p. 43 ↗
15 feet

Closest you may stop to the nearest rail

Handbook p. 43 ↗
1,500 feet

A train this close to the crossing means you must stop

Handbook p. 43 ↗

Crossing warning devices

  • Advance warning sign (round): slow down, look, listen, and be ready to stop
  • Pavement markings: a stop line, an X and the letters RR
  • Crossbuck sign at every public crossing; a sign below shows how many tracks
  • Flashing lights: always stop when they begin to flash — a train is coming
  • Gates: stop when the lights flash, before the gates lower; stay stopped until gates rise and lights stop
Handbook p. 43 ↗
Railroad crossbuck with flashing lights
Crossbuck with flashing light signals

Know the rule

Never start across until there's room for your vehicle on the far side. It's wise not to shift gears while crossing, in case you stall.

Handbook p. 43 ↗

Know the rule

With more than one track, make sure all tracks are clear. After a train passes, wait until it's well down the track — another train may have been hidden behind it.

Handbook p. 63 ↗

Know the rule

Never assume no train is coming, even if you've never seen one at that crossing — that assumption is a leading cause of crossing deaths.

Handbook p. 63 ↗

Emergency Notification System (ENS) sign

A sign at or near a crossing listing a phone number and US DOT number. Call it to tell the railroad about an emergency or a warning device malfunction.

Handbook p. 96 ↗

Put it into practice

At a two-track crossing, a freight train clears and the lights stop flashing. Before you go, look again both ways: a second train on the other track could have been hidden by the first.

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.

At a railroad crossing with warning signals but no gates, how close to the nearest rail must you stop if a train is approaching?
  1. Not less than 50 feet
  2. Not less than 15 feet
  3. Not less than 5 feet
  4. Not less than 30 feet

Answer: Not less than 15 feet

You must stop as close as practicable but not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail when a warning is active.

Handbook p. 43 ↗
At what distance is an approaching train considered close enough that you must stop at a railroad crossing?
  1. Within 500 feet of the crossing
  2. Within 3,000 feet of the crossing
  3. Within 1,500 feet of the crossing
  4. Within 100 feet of the crossing

Answer: Within 1,500 feet of the crossing

You must stop if a train is within 1,500 feet of the crossing, or is clearly visible and an obvious hazard.

Handbook p. 43 ↗
What shape is the sign used at all public railroad crossings, sometimes with a number-of-tracks plate below it?
  1. A round yellow sign
  2. A diamond-shaped sign
  3. A rectangular white sign
  4. The X-shaped cross buck sign

Answer: The X-shaped cross buck sign

Railroad cross buck signs are found at all public crossings, sometimes with a plate showing the number of tracks.

Handbook p. 43 ↗
You are crossing railroad tracks with more than one track after a train has just passed. What should you do?
  1. Wait, since another train may be hidden behind it
  2. Cross immediately once the first train clears the crossing
  3. Only worry about the closest track
  4. Assume no second train can be present

Answer: Wait, since another train may be hidden behind it

At multi-track crossings, wait until the passing train is well clear, as another could be hidden behind it.

Handbook p. 63 ↗
What does the handbook say it is wise NOT to do while crossing railroad tracks?
  1. Look both ways
  2. Shift gears
  3. Keep both hands on the wheel
  4. Maintain a steady speed

Answer: Shift gears

It's wise not to shift gears when crossing railroad tracks in case you stall.

Handbook p. 43 ↗
At a railroad crossing, what pavement marking, besides a stop line, warns you of the crossing ahead?
  1. An X and the letters RR
  2. A double yellow line
  3. A white diamond
  4. Chevron arrows

Answer: An X and the letters RR

Pavement markings with a stop line, an X, and the letters RR warn drivers of the railroad crossing ahead.

Handbook p. 43 ↗
Take the lesson checkpoint in the app

More in Signs, Signals & Markings

All Montana lessons