1 THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION’S AUTOMATED GRADE CROSSING SURVEY SYSTEM

Number of Words (including Figures) are 2,405 The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA’s) Office of Railroad Safety (RRS) reports that in calendar year 2014, there were more than 2,280 highway-rail accidents resulting in approximately 850 injuries and close to 270 fatalities. As part of FRA’s mission to improve public safety, FRA is focused on the reduction of train-on-vehicle collisions at grade crossings and resulting fatalities through a variety of means. One such effort involves the efficient assessment of grade crossings as characterized by parameters such as grade crossing profile, track-road angle, sight lines as well as the presence and proper operation of gates through use of an automated system to survey grade crossings from full-size track inspection vehicle. In order to realize this vision, FRA’s Office of Research, Development and Technology (ORDT) has developed and deployed a LiDAR-based system that creates accurate, high-density point clouds of track and surrounding area in and around grade crossing at survey speeds of up to 55 mph. Data is analyzed in real-time to extract safety-critical grade crossing parameters and to identify high profile grade crossings that pose a risk for accidents in which low-clearance motor vehicles can become stuck on the tracks. This paper presents highlights of the FRA’s development program as well as an overview of initial deployment and use of the resulting technolog