The Crossing Gate That Will Not Rise
At 7:48 a.m. on a two-lane county road, you approach a gated railroad crossing with 22 students aboard. The red lights begin flashing and the gate on your side lowers. You stop short of the tracks. The gate remains down, but no train is visible in either direction. The crossing has a small sign with an emergency number. After two minutes, a pickup ahead of you drives around the gate and crosses. Your route is already behind schedule, and the next stop has 10 students waiting in 5°F wind chill. Your bus is 20 feet from the nearest rail. The crossing signal continues to flash. You have a radio, but cell coverage is weak. A following car is stopped behind you. The students are asking why you are waiting.
1. Should you cross? What steps do you take while stopped?
Read the worked answer
No, I do not cross. A gate that is down with red lights flashing is a positive stop signal, even if no train is visible; the gate may be stuck, or a second train may be approaching. I stop short of the tracks, not on the crossing, and keep the bus clear of the rail. I do not drive around the gate or accept a motorist’s wave. I turn on hazard lights, set the parking brake, and tell students to remain seated and quiet. I radio dispatch with the crossing location, any posted crossing number, and the fact that the gate is stuck. I ask dispatch to contact the railroad and law enforcement. If a train approaches, I stay off the tracks and evacuate away from the tracks if there is any risk of the bus being struck.
2. Should you keep the students on the bus or evacuate while waiting? Explain your reasoning.
Read the worked answer
I keep students on the bus unless there is an immediate danger such as an approaching train, fire, or the bus being in the track area. The bus is a safer shelter than a rural roadway in cold weather. I do not back up across the crossing or make a U-turn. I wait for a railroad employee or law enforcement to authorize movement, and I do not cross until the gate is fully raised and the lights have stopped. If the delay is long, I ask dispatch about an alternate route that avoids the crossing. Before any movement, I check both directions for a second train. I document the malfunction and the time.
3. The pickup ahead crossed after waiting. Does that change your decision?
Read the worked answer
No. Another driver’s decision does not make the crossing safe. The pickup may have accepted a risk that I cannot accept with 22 students aboard. I do not follow the pickup or treat its movement as authorization. I remain stopped until the signal system is clear and the gate is up, or until a railroad employee or law enforcement officer directs me across. I note the pickup’s action in my report because it may be useful to the railroad or police.