Orami01/Test3 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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Pathway – a path for authorized users, outside the traveled way and physically separated from the roadway by an open space or barrier and either within the highway right-of-way or within an independent alignment. Pathways include shared-use paths, but do not include sidewalks.

Pathway Crossing – a pathway that: (1) is explicitly authorized by a public authority or a railroad; (2) is dedicated for the use of non-vehicular traffic including pedestrians, bicyclists, and others, (3) is not associated with a public highway, road, or street, or a private roadway; and (4) crosses one or more railroad tracks either at grade or gradeseparated. However, an area where pedestrians trespass, even routinely, is not considered to be a pathway crossing.

Pathways that are contiguous with, or separate but adjacent to, highway-rail crossings are presumed to be part of the highway-rail crossing and are not considered separate crossings. However, pathways that are located more than 25 feet from the location where a highway, road, or street intersects with one or more railroad tracks are generally considered to be separate pathway crossings.

Pathway Grade Crossing - for purposes of the Crossing Inventory, a pathway crossing that is at the same grade level as the tracks.

Pedestrian Crossing - See Pathway Crossing.

Pedestrian Station Crossing (Station, Ped.) – a pathway crossing located within a passenger station.

Pedestrian Station Grade Crossing – a pedestrian station crossing that is at the same grade level as the tracks.

Plant Railroad – a plant or installation that owns or leases a locomotive, uses that locomotive to switch cars throughout the plant or installation, and is moving goods solely for use in the facility’s own industrial processes. The plant or installation could include track immediately adjacent to the plant or installation if the plant railroad leases the track from the general system railroad and the lease provides for (and actual practice entails) the exclusive use of that trackage by the plant railroad and the general system railroad for purposes of moving only cars shipped to or from the plant. A plant or installation that operates a locomotive to switch or move cars for other entities, even if solely within the confines of the plant or installation, rather than for its own purposes or industrial practices, will not be considered a plant railroad because the performance of such activity makes the operation part of the general railroad system of transportation.

Primary Operating Railroad – the operating railroad that either owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, unless the crossing is located within a private company, port, or dock area. If more than one operating railroad either owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, or if no operating railroad owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, then the operating railroad that operates the highest number of trains through the crossing is the primary operating railroad. In the event that there is only one operating railroad that operates one or more trains through a highway-rail or pathway crossing, that operating railroad is the primary operating railroad.

For highway-rail and pathway crossings that are located within a private company, port, or dock area, each railroad that owns track leading to the private company, port, or dock area will be considered a primary operating railroad as applied to crossings within the private company, port, or dock area.

Private Crossing – a highway-rail or pathway crossing that is not a public crossing. Typical types of private crossings include farm crossings, industrial plant crossings, and residential access crossings.

Public Authority – the public entity responsible for traffic control or law enforcement at a highway-rail crossing or the public entity that authorized a pathway crossing.

Public Crossing – a highway-rail or pathway crossing where the approaches are under the jurisdiction of and maintained by a public authority and open to public travel. All approaches must be under the jurisdiction of the public authority and no approach may be on private property, unless state law or regulation provides otherwise.

For purposes of this definition “open to public travel” means that the road or pathway section is available (except during scheduled periods, extreme weather or emergency conditions) and open to the general public for use without restrictive gates, prohibitive signs, or regulation. Restrictions for highway-rail crossings that are based on size, weight, or class of registration do not apply.

In situations where a State has empowered a public agency (such as a State
Department of Transportation, State Highway Department, Public Utility Commission, State Commerce Commission, etc.) to make a determination as to whether crossings are public or private, such determinations will govern for Inventory purposes.

Quiet Zone – a segment of a rail line, within which is situated one or a number of consecutive public highway-rail crossings at which locomotive horns are not routinely sounded.

Remote Health Monitoring – an electronic system designed to remotely notify the railroad (typically the railroad signal maintainer or a trouble desk) that components of the automatic warning system are not functioning as intended.

Side Lights – a flashing light pair, typically mounted on the signal mast or cantilever structure, used to warn vehicular traffic and/or pedestrians approaching from side streets, parking lots, driveways or pathways.

Sidewalk – that portion of a street between the curb line, or lateral line of a roadway, and the adjacent property line. Sidewalks also include easements on private property that are paved or improved and intended for use by pedestrians.

Temporary Crossing – a highway-rail or pathway crossing created to serve a specific activity for a temporary time period not to exceed six months. Temporary crossings do not need an inventory number and do not need to be reported to the Crossing Inventory.

Through (Thru) Trains – trains whose primary responsibility is to operate over a route with defined beginning and end points.



APPENDIX E – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q 1. Which types of crossings must be reported to the Crossing Inventory?

All crossings, Highway-Rail, Pathway (formerly known as Pedestrian) and
Pedestrian Station, either at-grade and grade-separated, must be reported to the Crossing Inventory, with the exception of temporary crossings. Temporary crossings are crossings that are created to serve a specific activity for a temporary time period not to exceed six months.

An Inventory Number must be assigned to each crossing that is reported to the Crossing Inventory, except for certain crossings that are discussed in more detail in the Inventory Guide.

Q 2. If multiple operating railroads operate through a highway-rail or pathway crossing, which operating railroad is responsible for getting the Inventory number and filing the Inventory Forms?

With the exception of highway-rail and pathway crossings where multiple railroads or urban rapid transit operators operate trains on separate tracks through the same crossing, the primary operating railroad will be responsible for requesting the Inventory Number and submitting crossing data (including periodic updates) to the Crossing Inventory for a particular highway-rail or pathway crossing.

The primary operating railroad either owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, unless the crossing is located within a private company, port, or dock area. If more than one operating railroad either owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, or if no operating railroad owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, then the operating railroad that operates the highest number of trains through the crossing is the primary operating railroad. In the event that there is only one operating railroad that operates one or more trains through a highway-rail or pathway crossing, that operating railroad is the primary operating railroad. For highway-rail and pathway crossings that are located within a private company, port, or dock area, each railroad that owns track leading to the private company, port, or dock area will be considered a primary operating railroad as applied to crossings within the private company, port, or dock area.

Please refer to Appendix C for detailed guidance on reporting to the Crossing Inventory when multiple railroads or urban rapid transit operators operate trains on separate tracks through the same highway-rail or pathway crossing.



Q 3. Do I need to get an Inventory Number for a private crossing?

Yes. Railroads must obtain Inventory numbers for private crossings.

This includes crossings that are in a plant area owned by a private corporation, in a port or dock area or in the rail yard of the operating railroad. The primary operating railroad may decide whether to assign one Inventory Number for each crossing on private property or for multiple crossings within the plant, port or dock area or rail yard.

Q 4. Where can I get valid Crossing Inventory Numbers?

To acquire crossing numbers from FRA, please send an e-mail to: RequestDOTGXNumber@dot.gov.

Q 5. How do I update the Crossing Inventory for my Railroad or State?

Please refer to Appendix B of this Inventory Guide, the Crossing Inventory Responsibility Table, for information related to which data fields on the Inventory Forms need to be updated by railroads and/or the States.

With the exception of Class I railroads who must submit updates to the Crossing Inventory electronically, all non-Class I railroads and States may choose to submit updates to the Crossing Inventory electronically or by mailing updated Inventory Forms.

Please see FRA’s Web site for the correct mailing address for hardcopy U.S. DOT Crossing Inventory (Crossing Inventory) submissions.

Q 6. Can I submit Inventory Forms electronically?

Yes. While Class I railroads are required to file Inventory data electronically, all railroads and States are encouraged to file data electronically in accordance with the instructions contained in this Inventory Guide.

Q 7. Do I have to submit Inventory Forms electronically?

Class I railroads must file their Inventory Forms electronically. Therefore, Inventory updates, as well as the submission of Inventory data for new and previously unreported crossings, will need to be submitted electronically to the Crossing Inventory by Class I railroads. All other operating railroads and the States may choose to submit Inventory Forms electronically, but are not required to do so.


Q 8. Which parts of the Inventory Form must be completed for a new or previously unreported crossing?

The type of crossing will dictate which parts of the Inventory Form must be completed by railroads for the initial reporting of new and previously unreported highway-rail and pathway crossings. The Inventory Form will be considered “completed”, if the following parts of the Inventory Form are completed:

• Public Highway-Rail Grade Crossing: Complete entire Inventory Form (with the exception of I.20 and III.2.K);
• Private Highway-Rail Grade Crossing: Complete Header, plus Parts I, II, and III.2.K of the Inventory Form and the Submission Information section;
• Public Pathway Grade Crossing: Complete Header, plus Parts I and II of the Inventory Form (with the exception of I.20) and the Submission Information section;
• Private Pathway Grade Crossing: Complete Header, plus Parts I, II, and

Pathway – a path for authorized users, outside the traveled way and physically separated from the roadway by an open space or barrier and either within the highway right-of-way or within an independent alignment. Pathways include shared-use paths, but do not include sidewalks.

Pathway Crossing – a pathway that: (1) is explicitly authorized by a public authority or a railroad; (2) is dedicated for the use of non-vehicular traffic including pedestrians, bicyclists, and others, (3) is not associated with a public highway, road, or street, or a private roadway; and (4) crosses one or more railroad tracks either at grade or gradeseparated. However, an area where pedestrians trespass, even routinely, is not considered to be a pathway crossing.

Pathways that are contiguous with, or separate but adjacent to, highway-rail crossings are presumed to be part of the highway-rail crossing and are not considered separate crossings. However, pathways that are located more than 25 feet from the location where a highway, road, or street intersects with one or more railroad tracks are generally considered to be separate pathway crossings.

Pathway Grade Crossing - for purposes of the Crossing Inventory, a pathway crossing that is at the same grade level as the tracks.

Pedestrian Crossing - See Pathway Crossing.

Pedestrian Station Crossing (Station, Ped.) – a pathway crossing located within a passenger station.

Pedestrian Station Grade Crossing – a pedestrian station crossing that is at the same grade level as the tracks.

Plant Railroad – a plant or installation that owns or leases a locomotive, uses that locomotive to switch cars throughout the plant or installation, and is moving goods solely for use in the facility’s own industrial processes. The plant or installation could include track immediately adjacent to the plant or installation if the plant railroad leases the track from the general system railroad and the lease provides for (and actual practice entails) the exclusive use of that trackage by the plant railroad and the general system railroad for purposes of moving only cars shipped to or from the plant. A plant or installation that operates a locomotive to switch or move cars for other entities, even if solely within the confines of the plant or installation, rather than for its own purposes or industrial practices, will not be considered a plant railroad because the performance of such activity makes the operation part of the general railroad system of transportation.

Primary Operating Railroad – the operating railroad that either owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, unless the crossing is located within a private company, port, or dock area. If more than one operating railroad either owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, or if no operating railroad owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, then the operating railroad that operates the highest number of trains through the crossing is the primary operating railroad. In the event that there is only one operating railroad that operates one or more trains through a highway-rail or pathway crossing, that operating railroad is the primary operating railroad.

For highway-rail and pathway crossings that are located within a private company, port, or dock area, each railroad that owns track leading to the private company, port, or dock area will be considered a primary operating railroad as applied to crossings within the private company, port, or dock area.

Private Crossing – a highway-rail or pathway crossing that is not a public crossing. Typical types of private crossings include farm crossings, industrial plant crossings, and residential access crossings.

Public Authority – the public entity responsible for traffic control or law enforcement at a highway-rail crossing or the public entity that authorized a pathway crossing.

Public Crossing – a highway-rail or pathway crossing where the approaches are under the jurisdiction of and maintained by a public authority and open to public travel. All approaches must be under the jurisdiction of the public authority and no approach may be on private property, unless state law or regulation provides otherwise.

For purposes of this definition “open to public travel” means that the road or pathway section is available (except during scheduled periods, extreme weather or emergency conditions) and open to the general public for use without restrictive gates, prohibitive signs, or regulation. Restrictions for highway-rail crossings that are based on size, weight, or class of registration do not apply.

In situations where a State has empowered a public agency (such as a State

Department of Transportation, State Highway Department, Public Utility Commission, State Commerce Commission, etc.) to make a determination as to whether crossings are public or private, such determinations will govern for Inventory purposes.

Quiet Zone – a segment of a rail line, within which is situated one or a number of consecutive public highway-rail crossings at which locomotive horns are not routinely sounded.

Remote Health Monitoring – an electronic system designed to remotely notify the railroad (typically the railroad signal maintainer or a trouble desk) that components of the automatic warning system are not functioning as intended.

Side Lights – a flashing light pair, typically mounted on the signal mast or cantilever structure, used to warn vehicular traffic and/or pedestrians approaching from side streets, parking lots, driveways or pathways.

Sidewalk – that portion of a street between the curb line, or lateral line of a roadway, and the adjacent property line. Sidewalks also include easements on private property that are paved or improved and intended for use by pedestrians.

Temporary Crossing – a highway-rail or pathway crossing created to serve a specific activity for a temporary time period not to exceed six months. Temporary crossings do not need an inventory number and do not need to be reported to the Crossing Inventory.

Through (Thru) Trains – trains whose primary responsibility is to operate over a route with defined beginning and end points.

APPENDIX E – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q 1. Which types of crossings must be reported to the Crossing Inventory?

All crossings, Highway-Rail, Pathway (formerly known as Pedestrian) and

Pedestrian Station, either at-grade and grade-separated, must be reported to the Crossing Inventory, with the exception of temporary crossings. Temporary crossings are crossings that are created to serve a specific activity for a temporary time period not to exceed six months.

An Inventory Number must be assigned to each crossing that is reported to the Crossing Inventory, except for certain crossings that are discussed in more detail in the Inventory Guide.

Q 2. If multiple operating railroads operate through a highway-rail or pathway crossing, which operating railroad is responsible for getting the Inventory number and filing the Inventory Forms?

With the exception of highway-rail and pathway crossings where multiple railroads or urban rapid transit operators operate trains on separate tracks through the same crossing, the primary operating railroad will be responsible for requesting the Inventory Number and submitting crossing data (including periodic updates) to the Crossing Inventory for a particular highway-rail or pathway crossing.

The primary operating railroad either owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, unless the crossing is located within a private company, port, or dock area. If more than one operating railroad either owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, or if no operating railroad owns or maintains the track through the highway-rail or pathway crossing, then the operating railroad that operates the highest number of trains through the crossing is the primary operating railroad. In the event that there is only one operating railroad that operates one or more trains through a highway-rail or pathway crossing, that operating railroad is the primary operating railroad. For highway-rail and pathway crossings that are located within a private company, port, or dock area, each railroad that owns track leading to the private company, port, or dock area will be considered a primary operating railroad as applied to crossings within the private company, port, or dock area.

Please refer to Appendix C for detailed guidance on reporting to the Crossing Inventory when multiple railroads or urban rapid transit operators operate trains on separate tracks through the same highway-rail or pathway crossing.

Q 3. Do I need to get an Inventory Number for a private crossing?

Yes. Railroads must obtain Inventory numbers for private crossings.

This includes crossings that are in a plant area owned by a private corporation, in a port or dock area or in the rail yard of the operating railroad. The primary operating railroad may decide whether to assign one Inventory Number for each crossing on private property or for multiple crossings within the plant, port or dock area or rail yard.

Q 4. Where can I get valid Crossing Inventory Numbers?

To acquire crossing numbers from FRA, please send an e-mail to: RequestDOTGXNumber@dot.gov.

Q 5. How do I update the Crossing Inventory for my Railroad or State?

Please refer to Appendix B of this Inventory Guide, the Crossing Inventory Responsibility Table, for information related to which data fields on the Inventory Forms need to be updated by railroads and/or the States.

With the exception of Class I railroads who must submit updates to the Crossing Inventory electronically, all non-Class I railroads and States may choose to submit updates to the Crossing Inventory electronically or by mailing updated Inventory Forms.

Please see FRA’s Web site for the correct mailing address for hardcopy U.S. DOT Crossing Inventory (Crossing Inventory) submissions.

Q 6. Can I submit Inventory Forms electronically?

Yes. While Class I railroads are required to file Inventory data electronically, all railroads and States are encouraged to file data electronically in accordance with the instructions contained in this Inventory Guide.

Q 7. Do I have to submit Inventory Forms electronically?

Class I railroads must file their Inventory Forms electronically. Therefore, Inventory updates, as well as the submission of Inventory data for new and previously unreported crossings, will need to be submitted electronically to the Crossing Inventory by Class I railroads. All other operating railroads and the States may choose to submit Inventory Forms electronically, but are not required to do so.

Q 8. Which parts of the Inventory Form must be completed for a new or previously unreported crossing?

The type of crossing will dictate which parts of the Inventory Form must be completed by railroads for the initial reporting of new and previously unreported highway-rail and pathway crossings. The Inventory Form will be considered “completed”, if the following parts of the Inventory Form are completed:

• Public Highway-Rail Grade Crossing: Complete entire Inventory Form (with the exception of I.20 and III.2.K);

• Private Highway-Rail Grade Crossing: Complete Header, plus Parts I, II, and III.2.K of the Inventory Form and the Submission Information section;

• Public Pathway Grade Crossing: Complete Header, plus Parts I and II of the Inventory Form (with the exception of I.20) and the Submission Information section;

• Private Pathway Grade Crossing: Complete Header, plus Parts I, II, and