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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Automated Vehicles at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings: Final Report

Document Series:
Technical Reports
Author:
  • Federal Railroad Administration
Report Number
DOT/FRA/ORD-18/39
Office
RDI-23
Subject:
AutonomousGrade Crossing Technology
Keywords:
Highway-rail grade crossings, Automated Vehicle, AV, autonomous vehicle, Connected Vehicle, connected automated vehicles, CAVs, Concept of Operations, ConOps, requirements, stakeholder engagement

While the number of highway-rail grade crossing (HRGC) incidents remains relatively constant over the last 4 years, HRGCs still represents a significant safety concern for the transportation industry. Per the 2011 crossing collisions and casualties’ statistics, approximately 250 fatalities and 950 non-fatal injuries occur each year at HRGCs in the United States. As Automated Vehicle (AV) testing has started to become more prevalent and widespread, AVs will need to interact with HRGCs as human drivers do presently. One way to enhance AV interaction with HRGCs is through Connected Vehicle (CV) technology. This technology and other approaches were considered in this research regarding safe AV traversals on HRGCs. This report summarizes work performed by Battelle Memorial Institute, including the objectives, scope, and findings of the technology survey (included in its entirety in Appendix A); Concept of Operations (ConOps) and Requirements (included in Appendix B); and the stakeholder engagement. The report provides project conclusions and recommendations for further advancement in understanding, concepts, and requirements of AV traversals on HRGCs.


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Last updated: Monday, December 10, 2018