Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/529bv.pdf
Page Number: 423

529US2

Unit: $U45

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348

NORFOLK SOUTHERN R. CO. v. SHANKLIN

Opinion of the Court

issues an order covering the subject matter of the State
requirement.” § 20106.

Although the pre-emption provision contains an exception,
see ibid., it is inapplicable here.

Three years after passing the FRSA, Congress enacted
the Highway Safety Act of 1973, § 203, 87 Stat. 283, which,
among other things, created the Federal Railway-Highway
Crossings Program (Crossings Program), see 23 U. S. C.
§ 130. That program makes funds available to States for the
“cost of construction of projects for the elimination of haz-
ards of railway-highway crossings.” § 130(a). To partici-
pate in the Crossings Program, all States must “conduct and
systematically maintain a survey of all highways to identify
those railroad crossings which may require separation, relo-
cation, or protective devices, and establish and implement
a schedule of projects for this purpose.” § 130(d). That
schedule must, “[a]t a minimum, . . . provide signs for all
railway-highway crossings.”

Ibid.

The Secretary, through the Federal Highway Adminis-
tration (FHWA), has promulgated several regulations imple-
menting the Crossings Program. One of those regulations,
23 CFR § 646.214(b) (1999), addresses the design of grade
crossing improvements. More speciﬁcally, §§ 646.214(b)(3)
and (4) address the adequacy of warning devices installed
under the program.* According to § 646.214(b)(3), “[a]de-

*Sections 646.214(b)(3) and (4) provide in full:
“(3)(i) Adequate warning devices, under § 646.214(b)(2) or on any project
where Federal-aid funds participate in the installation of the devices are
to include automatic gates with ﬂashing light signals when one or more of
the following conditions exist:

“(A) Multiple main line railroad tracks.
“(B) Multiple tracks at or in the vicinity of the crossing which may be
occupied by a train or locomotive so as to obscure the movement of another
train approaching the crossing.

“(C) High Speed train operation combined with limited sight distance

at either single or multiple track crossings.