Railroad-Highway Crossings
What this domain tests
Mandatory stopping rules for passenger-carrying buses, crossing procedure, and what to do if the bus stalls on the tracks.
Core rules
- Under 49 CFR 392.10, a bus carrying passengers must stop at every railroad crossing before crossing, between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail. The exceptions are narrow: crossings where a police officer or flagman directs traffic, and crossings officially marked as exempt.
- Stop, look both ways, and listen. School bus drivers must also open the door and window to listen, then close them before moving.
- Do not shift gears while on the tracks. With a manual transmission, select the gear before the crossing and stay in it.
- Never start across unless there is room on the far side for the whole bus. Stopping on the tracks is a fatal-error answer.
- Flashing red lights mean stop and stay stopped, even if no train is visible. Never drive around a lowered gate.
- A crossbuck means yield to trains. A stop sign at the crossing means a full stop in addition to the passenger-bus rule.
Worked example
A charter bus approaches a crossing with a crossbuck and no lights, and the dispatch route has no exempt designation. The driver stops 20 feet from the nearest rail, opens the door and window, looks and listens, sees nothing, closes up, and crosses without shifting. A following car honks, but the stop was mandatory and the driver ignores it.
If the bus stalls on the tracks
Get everyone off and away from the tracks immediately, move well clear, call 911, and give the crossing location using the blue Emergency Notification sign, which shows the DOT crossing number and a railroad emergency phone number. Do not spend time trying to restart the bus while passengers remain aboard.
Traps
Rolling through because no train is in sight; stopping closer than 15 feet; following the vehicle ahead onto the tracks; shifting mid-crossing; treating a crossbuck as permission rather than a yield.