Grade Crossings Regulations (SOR/2014-275)

Marginal note:Existing grade crossing without a warning system

• 21 (1) The sightlines at an existing grade crossing without a warning system must be as shown in Figures 7-1(a) and (b) of the Grade Crossings Standards and are not required to take account of any railway equipment that is moving or attended.

• Marginal note:Existing grade crossing with a warning system

  (2) The sightlines at an existing grade crossing with a warning system without a gate, which are within the railway right-of-way and within the land on which the road is situated, must be as shown in Figure 7-1(a) of the Grade Crossings Standards and are not required to take account of

  • (a) any railway equipment other than unattended railway equipment;

  • (b) any permanent visual obstructions that exist on the day on which these Regulations come into force; or

  • (c) any areas beyond the visual limits of a curve.

• Marginal note:Establishment of sightlines

  (3) The sightlines at an existing grade crossing must be established in accordance with the standards set out in article 7 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

• Marginal note:Timing

  (4) The requirements of subsections (1) to (3) must be met beginning on the day that is seven years after the day on which these Regulations come into force.

Marginal note:Warning system with a gate

22 Despite sections 20 and 21, the requirements respecting sightlines do not apply to a grade crossing with a warning system with a gate.

Maintenance of Sightlines

Marginal note:Maintenance of sightlines

23 Sightlines must be maintained to meet the requirements of section 20 or 21, as applicable, including by the removal of trees and brush that obstruct the sightlines.

Obstruction of Sightlines

Marginal note:Buildings and structures

24 A person must not erect, on land adjoining the land on which a line of railway is situated, a building or other structure, not being a railway work, that will obstruct the sightlines.

Marginal note:Things placed on land

25 A person must not place, on land adjoining the land on which a line of railway is situated, anything that will obstruct the sightlines.

Marginal note:Trees and brush

26 A person who grows trees and brush, or allows them to grow, on land in the vicinity of a grade crossing must remove them if they obstruct the sightlines.

Marginal note:Unattended railway equipment

27 A company must not leave unattended any railway equipment that obstructs the sightlines.

Changes

Marginal note:Changes to grade crossing

28 The sightlines at a grade crossing must meet the requirements of section 20 if

• (a) a line of railway is added within the sightlines of the grade crossing;

• (b) the class of track referred to in column 1 of the table to article 7.1.2 of the Grade Crossings Standards changes, taking into account the maximum allowable operating speed set out in column 2 or 3 of that table, as applicable;

• (c) the design vehicle changes; or

• (d) an increase in the road crossing design speed results in a change to the specification set out in column B of Table 10-2 of the Grade Crossings Standards to which the road approach corresponds, taking into account the characteristics set out for rural roads in Table 10-3 of those Standards or the characteristics set out for urban roads in Table 10-4 of those Standards, as applicable.

New Grade Crossing

Prohibition

Marginal note:Construction

29 A person must not construct a grade crossing if

• (a) the railway design speed would be more than 177 km/h (110 mph); or

• (b) the road approach of the proposed grade crossing would be a freeway, taking into account the characteristics set out for rural roads in Table 10-3 of the Grade Crossings Standards or the characteristics set out for urban roads in Table 10-4 of those Standards, as applicable.

Design and Construction

Marginal note:Application

30 Sections 31 to 36 apply to the design and construction of a new grade crossing.

Marginal note:Crossing surface

31 A crossing surface must meet the standards set out in article 5 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Road approach

32 A road approach must meet the standards set out in article 6 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

• 33 (1) The location of a public grade crossing must meet the standards set out in article 11 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a public grade crossing where, at the road approach, access is for the exclusive use of pedestrians and non-motor vehicles.

Marginal note:Departure times

34 Departure times must be calculated in accordance with article 10.3 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Design vehicle

35 A design vehicle must be selected for the design of a grade crossing.

Marginal note:Road crossing design speed

36 A road crossing design speed must be selected for the design of a private grade crossing.

Signs and Warning System

Public Grade Crossing

Application

Marginal note:Application

37 Sections 38 to 46 apply to a new grade crossing that is a public grade crossing.

Signs

Marginal note:Railway Crossing sign and Number of Tracks sign

38 A Railway Crossing sign — and, if there is more than one track, a Number of Tracks sign — must be installed at a grade crossing and meet the standards set out in article 8.1 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Emergency Notification sign

39 An Emergency Notification sign must be installed at a grade crossing in accordance with the standards set out in article 8.5 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Stop sign

• 40 (1) A Stop sign must be installed at a grade crossing without a warning system if the road crossing design speed is less than 15 km/h.

• Marginal note:Standards

  (2) The Stop sign and its installation must meet the standards set out in article 8.4 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Stop Ahead sign

41 A Stop Ahead sign must be installed if the Stop sign is not clearly visible within the stopping sight distance, and must meet the standards set out in article 8.3 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Railway Crossing Ahead sign and Advisory Speed Tab sign

• 42 (1) A Railway Crossing Ahead sign with an Advisory Speed Tab sign must be installed if

  • (a) the Railway Crossing sign is not clearly visible within the stopping sight distance; or

  • (b) the speed of a motor vehicle on the road approach needs to be reduced in order to correspond to the road crossing design speed.

• Marginal note:Standards

  (2) The Railway Crossing Ahead sign and the Advisory Speed Tab sign must meet the standards set out in article 8.2 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Marginal note:Prepare to Stop at Railway Crossing sign

• 43 (1) A Prepare to Stop at Railway Crossing sign must be installed if

  • (a) the road approach is an expressway, taking into account the characteristics set out for expressways in Table 10-4 of the Grade Crossings Standards;

  • (b) at least one set of front light units on the warning system is not clearly visible within the stopping sight distance of at least one of the lanes of the road approach; or

  • (c) the weather conditions at the grade crossing repeatedly obscure the visibility of the warning system.

• Marginal note:Standards

  (2) The Prepare to Stop at Railway Crossing sign must meet the standards set out in article 18 of the Grade Crossings Standards.

Warning System

Marginal note:Warning system

• 44 (1) A warning system must be installed at a grade crossing that corresponds to the specifications set out in article 9.1 or 9.5 of the Grade Crossings Standards, as applicable, and must meet the applicable standards set out in articles 12 to 16 of those Standards.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) If railway equipment is required to stop at the grade crossing, a traffic signal that is activated by the presence of the railway equipment may be installed at the grade crossing instead of a warning system, or the railway company may manually protect the grade crossing instead of installing a warning system.