New Road Crossing Openings and Conversion of Private Crossings To Public

To enhance highway-rail grade crossing safety, Union Pacific endorses the United States Department of Transportation’s goal of reducing the number of at-grade crossings, both public and private, through consolidation, elimination, grade separation and restriction of the number of new crossings installed.

Union Pacific, other railroads, the Federal Railroad Administration and most states also encourage communities to carefully consider all alternatives, including grade separations, as opposed to the creation of new at-grade crossings. Union Pacific and other railroads believe the cost of a grade crossing separation should not outweigh the enhanced safety it would provide for the traveling public.

To comply with and support the federal initiative to reduce crossings, Union Pacific has a practice of requesting that multiple public crossings be consolidated before agreeing to the establishment of a new crossing. Union Pacific expects communities to engage in a study to identify crossings for closure. Proposals for establishing a new public crossing should identify three or more crossing closures for each new crossing opened unless there are specific engineering or rail operation considerations at the specific location.

Because of safety concerns, every effort must be made to obtain alternative access using grade separations, parallel or other roads leading to existing crossings, and access from other directions must first be considered.

Union Pacific’s policy is not to permit private or public parallel roadways within the railroad’s right of way.

As a matter of operational efficiency some locations will not be approved for crossings because of railroad engineering and operating considerations such as passing sidings, tracks used for switching, special track work, sharp curves and other considerations.

To progress a new road opening or to convert an existing private crossing to a public crossing, click here to submit a project inquiry.