TM13: Standard Railroad Grade Crossing
This service package manages highway traffic at highway-rail intersections (HRIs) where operational requirements do not dictate more advanced features (e.g., where rail operational speeds are less than 80 miles per hour). Both passive (e.g., the crossbuck sign) and active warning systems (e.g., flashing lights and gates) are supported. (Note that passive systems exercise only the single interface between the ITS Roadway Equipment and the Driver in the physical view.) These traditional HRI warning systems may also be augmented with other standard traffic management devices. The warning systems are activated on notification of an approaching train by interfaced wayside equipment. The equipment at the HRI may also be interconnected with adjacent signalized intersections so that local control can be adapted to highway-rail intersection activities. Health monitoring of the HRI equipment and interfaces is performed; detected abnormalities are reported to both highway and railroad officials through wayside interfaces and interfaces to the Traffic Management Center.
Relevant Regions: Australia, Canada, European Union, and United States
- Enterprise
- Functional
- Physical
- Goals and Objectives
- Needs and Requirements
- Sources
- Security
- Standards
- System Requirements
Enterprise
Development Stage Roles and Relationships
Installation Stage Roles and Relationships
Operations and Maintenance Stage Roles and Relationships
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Source | Destination | Role/Relationship |
---|---|---|
ITS Roadway Equipment Maintainer | ITS Roadway Equipment | Maintains |
ITS Roadway Equipment Manager | ITS Roadway Equipment | Manages |
ITS Roadway Equipment Owner | ITS Roadway Equipment Maintainer | System Maintenance Agreement |
ITS Roadway Equipment Owner | ITS Roadway Equipment Manager | Operations Agreement |
ITS Roadway Equipment Owner | Traffic Management Center Owner | Information Exchange Agreement |
ITS Roadway Equipment Owner | Wayside Equipment Owner | Information Exchange and Action Agreement |
ITS Roadway Equipment Supplier | ITS Roadway Equipment Owner | Warranty |
Rail Operations Center Maintainer | Rail Operations Center | Maintains |
Rail Operations Center Manager | Rail Operations Center | Manages |
Rail Operations Center Owner | Rail Operations Center Maintainer | System Maintenance Agreement |
Rail Operations Center Owner | Rail Operations Center Manager | Operations Agreement |
Rail Operations Center Supplier | Rail Operations Center Owner | Warranty |
Traffic Management Center Maintainer | Traffic Management Center | Maintains |
Traffic Management Center Manager | Traffic Management Center | Manages |
Traffic Management Center Owner | ITS Roadway Equipment Owner | Information Exchange Agreement |
Traffic Management Center Owner | Rail Operations Center Owner | Information Provision Agreement |
Traffic Management Center Owner | Traffic Management Center Maintainer | System Maintenance Agreement |
Traffic Management Center Owner | Traffic Management Center Manager | Operations Agreement |
Traffic Management Center Supplier | Traffic Management Center Owner | Warranty |
Wayside Equipment Maintainer | Wayside Equipment | Maintains |
Wayside Equipment Manager | Wayside Equipment | Manages |
Wayside Equipment Owner | ITS Roadway Equipment Owner | Information Exchange and Action Agreement |
Wayside Equipment Owner | Wayside Equipment Maintainer | System Maintenance Agreement |
Wayside Equipment Owner | Wayside Equipment Manager | Operations Agreement |
Wayside Equipment Supplier | Wayside Equipment Owner | Warranty |
Functional
This service package includes the following Functional View PSpecs:
Physical
The physical diagram can be viewed in SVG or PNG format and the current format is SVG.SVG Diagram
PNG Diagram
Includes Physical Objects:
Physical Object | Class | Description |
---|---|---|
Driver | Vehicle | The 'Driver' represents the person that operates a vehicle on the roadway. Included are operators of private, transit, commercial, and emergency vehicles where the interactions are not particular to the type of vehicle (e.g., interactions supporting vehicle safety applications). The Driver originates driver requests and receives driver information that reflects the interactions which might be useful to all drivers, regardless of vehicle classification. Information and interactions which are unique to drivers of a specific vehicle type (e.g., fleet interactions with transit, commercial, or emergency vehicle drivers) are covered by separate objects. |
ITS Roadway Equipment | Field | 'ITS Roadway Equipment' represents the ITS equipment that is distributed on and along the roadway that monitors and controls traffic and monitors and manages the roadway. This physical object includes traffic detectors, environmental sensors, traffic signals, highway advisory radios, dynamic message signs, CCTV cameras and video image processing systems, grade crossing warning systems, and ramp metering systems. Lane management systems and barrier systems that control access to transportation infrastructure such as roadways, bridges and tunnels are also included. This object also provides environmental monitoring including sensors that measure road conditions, surface weather, and vehicle emissions. Work zone systems including work zone surveillance, traffic control, driver warning, and work crew safety systems are also included. |
MMV User | Personal | The 'MMV User' represents the person that operates a micromobility vehicle (MMV). Included are cyclists and operators of other low-powered mobility devices such as e-scooters, powered wheelchairs, and power assisted bicycles where the interactions are not particular to the type of vehicle (e.g., interactions supporting vehicle safety applications). The MMV User participates in ITS services that support safe, shared use of the transportation network by motorized and non-motorized transportation modes. Representing those using non-motorized travel modes, and in particular bicyclists that sometimes share motor vehicle lanes, these MMV users provide input (e.g. a call signal requesting right of way at an intersection) and may be detected by ITS services to improve safety. The MMV User originates requests and receives information that reflects the interactions which might be useful to all users, regardless of vehicle type. |
Pedestrian | Personal | The 'Pedestrian' represents a person traveling on foot. Pedestrians participate in ITS services that support safe, shared use of the transportation network. Included are visually impaired travelers who travel through portions of the transportation network and interact with ITS systems. They provide input (e.g. a call signal requesting right of way at an intersection) and may be detected by ITS services to improve safety |
Rail Operations Center | Center | 'Rail Operations Center' represents the (usually) centralized control point for a substantial segment of a freight railroad's operations and maintenance activities. It is roughly the railroad equivalent to a highway Traffic Management Center. It is the source and destination of information that can be used to coordinate rail and highway traffic management and maintenance operations. It is also the source and destination for incident, incident response, disaster, or evacuation information that is exchanged with an Emergency Management Center. The use of a single object for multiple sources and destination for information exchange with railroads implies the need for a single, consistent interface between a given railroad's operations and maintenance activities and ITS. |
Traffic Management Center | Center | The 'Traffic Management Center' monitors and controls traffic and the road network. It represents centers that manage a broad range of transportation facilities including freeway systems, rural and suburban highway systems, and urban and suburban traffic control systems. It communicates with ITS Roadway Equipment and Connected Vehicle Roadside Equipment (RSE) to monitor and manage traffic flow and monitor the condition of the roadway, surrounding environmental conditions, and field equipment status. It manages traffic and transportation resources to support allied agencies in responding to, and recovering from, incidents ranging from minor traffic incidents through major disasters. |
Wayside Equipment | Field | 'Wayside Equipment' represents train interface equipment (usually) maintained and operated by the railroad and (usually) physically located at or near a grade crossing. It is a source and destination for information for, or about, approaching trains and their crews (e.g. the time at which the train will arrive and the time it will take to clear a crossing, crossing status or warnings, etc.). Generally one wayside equipment interface would be associated with one highway rail intersection. However, multiple crossings may be controlled using information based on data from one wayside equipment interface. |
Includes Functional Objects:
Functional Object | Description | Physical Object |
---|---|---|
Roadway Standard Rail Crossing | 'Roadway Standard Rail Crossing' manages highway traffic at highway-rail intersections (HRIs) where operational requirements do not dictate advanced features (e.g., where rail operational speeds are less than 80 miles per hour). Either passive (e.g., the crossbuck sign) or active warning systems (e.g., flashing lights and gates) are supported depending on the specific requirements for each intersection. These traditional HRI warning systems may also be augmented with other standard traffic management devices. The warning systems are activated on notification of an approaching train by interfaced wayside equipment. The equipment at the HRI may also be interconnected with adjacent signalized intersections so that local control can be adapted to highway-rail intersection activities. Health monitoring of the HRI equipment and interfaces is performed; detected abnormalities are reported through interfaces to the wayside interface equipment and the Traffic Management Center. | ITS Roadway Equipment |
TMC Standard Rail Crossing Management | 'TMC Standard Rail Crossing Management' monitors and controls rail crossing traffic control equipment. This version provides basic support for standard active warning systems at grade crossings. It remotely monitors and reports the status of the rail crossing equipment and sends control plan updates to the equipment. | Traffic Management Center |
Includes Information Flows:
Information Flow | Description |
---|---|
crossing call | Non-motorized user request to cross the roadway. This is an overt request from a pedestrian, micromobility vehicle user (e.g., cyclist), or other vulnerable road user. This overt request may be a physical button push or hovering or gesturing in the vicinity of the button that supports contactless activation. |
crossing permission | Information provided to guide and warn pedestrians, micromobility vehicle users (e.g., cyclists), and other crosswalk users. It includes crossing request acknowledgment, current crossing permission, crossing time remaining, and real-time warnings of safety threats. |
driver information | Regulatory, warning, guidance, and other information provided to the driver to support safe and efficient vehicle operation. |
rail crossing advisories | Notification of Highway-Rail Intersection equipment failure, intersection blockage, or other condition requiring attention, and maintenance activities at or near highway rail intersections. |
rail crossing control data | Data required for HRI information transmitted at railroad grade crossings and within railroad operations. |
rail crossing operational status | Status of the highway-rail grade crossing equipment including both the current state or mode of operation and the current equipment condition. |
rail crossing request | A request for highway-rail intersection status or a specific control request intended to modify HRI operation. |
rail crossing status | Status of the highway-rail intersection equipment including both the current state or mode of operation and the current equipment condition. |
track status | Current status of the wayside equipment and notification of an arriving train. |
Goals and Objectives
Associated Planning Factors and Goals
Planning Factor | Goal |
---|---|
B. Increase the safety of the transportation system for motorized and nonmotorized users; | Reduce fatalities and injuries |
Associated Objective Categories
Objective Category |
---|
Safety: Vehicle Crashes and Fatalities |
Associated Objectives and Performance Measures
Needs and Requirements
Need | Functional Object | Requirement | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
01 | Traffic Operations need to be able to warn drivers of crossing closures in time for the driver to take appropriate action. | Roadway Standard Rail Crossing | 04 | The field element shall receive track status from the rail wayside equipment that can be passed on to the traffic management center. This may include the current status of the tracks and whether a train is approaching. |
06 | The field element shall control the dynamic message signs (DMS) in the vicinity of a highway-rail intersection (HRI) to advise drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians of approaching trains. | |||
09 | The field element shall forward rail traffic advisories received from the Wayside Equipment to the traffic management center. | |||
02 | Traffic Operations need to be able to modify traffic signal timing in order to allow safe movement of vehicles away or towards a highway rail intersection when a train is approaching. | Roadway Standard Rail Crossing | 01 | The field element shall collect and process, traffic sensor data in the vicinity of a highway-rail intersection (HRI). |
02 | The field element shall monitor the status of the highway-rail intersection (HRI) equipment, including both the current state and mode of operation and the current equipment condition, to be forwarded on to the traffic management center. | |||
03 | The field element shall monitor the status of the highway-rail intersection (HRI) equipment, including both the current state and mode of operation and the current equipment condition, to be forwarded on to the rail wayside equipment. | |||
05 | The field element shall collect pedestrian images and pedestrian sensor data, and respond to pedestrian crossing requests via display, audio signal, or other manner. | |||
07 | The field element shall close the highway-rail intersection (HRI) when a train is approaching using gates, lights/signs, barriers, and traffic control signals. | |||
08 | The field element shall support the integrated control of adjacent traffic signals to clear an area in advance of an approaching train and to manage traffic around the intersection. | |||
TMC Standard Rail Crossing Management | 01 | The center shall collect highway-rail intersection (HRI) equipment operational status including both the current state or mode of operation and the current equipment condition. |
Security
In order to participate in this service package, each physical object should meet or exceed the following security levels.
Physical Object Security | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Physical Object | Confidentiality | Integrity | Availability | Security Class |
ITS Roadway Equipment | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Class 2 |
Rail Operations Center | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Class 2 |
Traffic Management Center | Moderate | High | Moderate | Class 3 |
Wayside Equipment | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Class 2 |
In order to participate in this service package, each information flow triple should meet or exceed the following security levels.
Information Flow Security | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Source | Destination | Information Flow | Confidentiality | Integrity | Availability |
Basis | Basis | Basis | |||
ITS Roadway Equipment | Driver | driver information | Not Applicable | High | Moderate |
This data is sent to all drivers and is also directly observable, by design. | This is the primary signal trusted by the driver to decide whether to go through the intersection and what speed to go through the intersection at; if it's wrong, accidents could happen. | If the lights are out you have to get a policeman to direct traffic – expensive and inefficient and may cause a cascading effect due to lack of coordination with other intersections. | |||
ITS Roadway Equipment | MMV User | crossing permission | Not Applicable | High | Low |
This data is intentionally transmitted to everyone via a broadcast. | Although pedestrians have a responsibility to make sure the road is safe before they cross, they may react instinctively to incorrect information and be led to cross at unsafe times if they get incorrect information. Also, if the traffic signals are wrong and an accident happens, the pedestrian involved could sue, causing financial loss and other undesirable outcomes. | It is easy to tell whether this information flow is available and pedestrians are used to using crosswalks that do not provide this service. | |||
ITS Roadway Equipment | Pedestrian | crossing permission | Not Applicable | High | Low |
This data is intentionally transmitted to everyone via a broadcast. | Although pedestrians have a responsibility to make sure the road is safe before they cross, they may react instinctively to incorrect information and be led to cross at unsafe times if they get incorrect information. Also, if the traffic signals are wrong and an accident happens, the pedestrian involved could sue, causing financial loss and other undesirable outcomes. | It is easy to tell whether this information flow is available and pedestrians are used to using crosswalks that do not provide this service. | |||
ITS Roadway Equipment | Traffic Management Center | rail crossing status | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
This information could be of interest to a malicious individual who is attempting to determine the best way to accomplish a crime. As such it would be best to not make it easily accessible. | If this is compromised, it could send unnecessary maintenance workers, or suggest actions that are incorrect for the true situation. | This information is important, but if it is not reported there are other safety systems that should prevent related incidents. The impact of any rail/road intersection is particularly high, but in this case a MODERATE rating can be justified by the alternative mechanisms. | |||
ITS Roadway Equipment | Wayside Equipment | rail crossing operational status | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
This information could be of interest to a malicious individual who is attempting to determine the best way to accomplish a crime. As such it would be best to not make it easily accessible. | If this is compromised, it could send unnecessary maintenance workers, or suggest actions that are incorrect for the true situation. | This information is important, but if it is not reported there are other safety systems that should prevent related incidents. The impact of any rail/road intersection is particularly high, but in this case a MODERATE rating can be justified by the alternative mechanisms. | |||
MMV User | ITS Roadway Equipment | crossing call | Not Applicable | High | Low |
The "Not Applicable" group includes information flows that do not actually carry information; for example, flows that represent the physical environment. | Although pedestrians have a responsibility to make sure the road is safe before they cross, and should ensure that they are detected by pedestrian detection systems, they may not always be detected and be led to cross at unsafe times if the ITS RE obtains incorrect information. | It is easy to tell whether this information flow is available and pedestrians are used to using crosswalks that do not provide this service. | |||
Pedestrian | ITS Roadway Equipment | crossing call | Not Applicable | High | Low |
The "Not Applicable" group includes information flows that do not actually carry information; for example, flows that represent the physical environment. | Although pedestrians have a responsibility to make sure the road is safe before they cross, and should ensure that they are detected by pedestrian detection systems, they may not always be detected and be led to cross at unsafe times if the ITS RE obtains incorrect information. | It is easy to tell whether this information flow is available and pedestrians are used to using crosswalks that do not provide this service. | |||
Traffic Management Center | ITS Roadway Equipment | rail crossing control data | Moderate | High | Moderate |
Control flows, even for seemingly innocent devices, should be kept confidential to minimize attack vectors. While an individual installation may not be particularly impacted by a cyberattack of its sensor network, another installation might be severely impacted, and different installations are likely to use similar methods, so compromising one leads to compromising all. | Control flows, even for seemingly innocent devices, should have MODERATE integrity at minimum, just to guarantee that intended control messages are received. Incorrect, corrupted, intercepted and modified control messages can or will result in target field devices not behaving according to operator intent. The severity of this depends on the type of device, which is why some devices are set MODERATE and some HIGH. | Control flow availability is related to the criticality of being able to remotely control the device. For most devices, this is MODERATE. For purely passive devices with no incident relationship, this will be LOW. All devices should have default modes that enable them to operate without backhaul connectivity, so no device warrants a HIGH. | |||
Traffic Management Center | ITS Roadway Equipment | rail crossing request | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
This information could be of interest to a malicious individual who is attempting to determine the best way to accomplish a crime. As such it would be best to not make it easily accessible. | If this is compromised, it could send unnecessary maintenance workers, or suggest actions that are incorrect for the true situation. | This information is important, but if it is not reported there are other safety systems that should prevent related incidents. The impact of any rail/road intersection is particularly high, but in this case a MODERATE rating can be justified by the alternative mechanisms. | |||
Traffic Management Center | Rail Operations Center | rail crossing advisories | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
May contain sensitive information about the highway-rail intersection area. If intercepted by a third party, could be used to embarras the relevant stakeholders, or as contributing information toward target selection (if for example a piece of monitoring equipment was listed as non-functional). | This will trigger maintenance activity, so it must be correct or such activities will not be properly scheduled and resources suboptimally assgned. If unavailable or modified, may negatively contribute to mobility and safety. | This will trigger maintenance activity, so it must be correct or such activities will not be properly scheduled and resources suboptimally assgned. If unavailable or modified, may negatively contribute to mobility and safety. | |||
Wayside Equipment | ITS Roadway Equipment | track status | Low | Moderate | Moderate |
Track status is typically physically viewable information. | This information is important, but if it is incorrect there are other safety systems that should prevent related incidents. The impact of any rail/road intersection is particularly high, but in this case a MODERATE rating can be justified by the alternative mechanisms. | This information is important, but if it is not reported there are other safety systems that should prevent related incidents. The impact of any rail/road intersection is particularly high, but in this case a MODERATE rating can be justified by the alternative mechanisms. |
Standards
The following table lists the standards associated with physical objects in this service package. For standards related to interfaces, see the specific information flow triple pages.
Name | Title | Physical Object |
---|---|---|
ITE ATC | Advanced Transportation Controller | ITS Roadway Equipment |
ITE ATC API | Application Programming Interface Standard for the Advanced Transportation Controller | ITS Roadway Equipment |
ITE ATC ITS Cabinet | Intelligent Transportation System Standard Specification for Roadside Cabinets | ITS Roadway Equipment |
ITE ATC Model 2070 | Model 2070 Controller Standard | ITS Roadway Equipment |
NEMA TS 8 Cyber and Physical Security | Cyber and Physical Security for Intelligent Transportation Systems | ITS Roadway Equipment |
Traffic Management Center | ||
NEMA TS2 Traffic Controller Assemblies | Traffic Controller Assemblies with NTCIP Requirements | ITS Roadway Equipment |
System Requirements
System Requirement | Need | ||
---|---|---|---|
001 | The system shall collect highway-rail intersection (HRI) equipment operational status including both the current state or mode of operation and the current equipment condition. | 02 | Traffic Operations need to be able to modify traffic signal timing in order to allow safe movement of vehicles away or towards a highway rail intersection when a train is approaching. |
002 | The system shall collect and process, traffic sensor data in the vicinity of a highway-rail intersection (HRI). | 02 | Traffic Operations need to be able to modify traffic signal timing in order to allow safe movement of vehicles away or towards a highway rail intersection when a train is approaching. |
003 | The system shall monitor the status of the highway-rail intersection (HRI) equipment, including both the current state and mode of operation and the current equipment condition, to be forwarded on to the traffic management center. | 02 | Traffic Operations need to be able to modify traffic signal timing in order to allow safe movement of vehicles away or towards a highway rail intersection when a train is approaching. |
004 | The system shall monitor the status of the highway-rail intersection (HRI) equipment, including both the current state and mode of operation and the current equipment condition, to be forwarded on to the rail wayside equipment. | 02 | Traffic Operations need to be able to modify traffic signal timing in order to allow safe movement of vehicles away or towards a highway rail intersection when a train is approaching. |
005 | The system shall receive track status from the rail wayside equipment that can be passed on to the traffic management center. This may include the current status of the tracks and whether a train is approaching. | 01 | Traffic Operations need to be able to warn drivers of crossing closures in time for the driver to take appropriate action. |
006 | The system shall collect pedestrian images and pedestrian sensor data, and respond to pedestrian crossing requests via display, audio signal, or other manner. | 02 | Traffic Operations need to be able to modify traffic signal timing in order to allow safe movement of vehicles away or towards a highway rail intersection when a train is approaching. |
007 | The system shall control the dynamic message signs (DMS) in the vicinity of a highway-rail intersection (HRI) to advise drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians of approaching trains. | 01 | Traffic Operations need to be able to warn drivers of crossing closures in time for the driver to take appropriate action. |
008 | The system shall close the highway-rail intersection (HRI) when a train is approaching using gates, lights/signs, barriers, and traffic control signals. | 02 | Traffic Operations need to be able to modify traffic signal timing in order to allow safe movement of vehicles away or towards a highway rail intersection when a train is approaching. |
009 | The system shall support the integrated control of adjacent traffic signals to clear an area in advance of an approaching train and to manage traffic around the intersection. | 02 | Traffic Operations need to be able to modify traffic signal timing in order to allow safe movement of vehicles away or towards a highway rail intersection when a train is approaching. |
010 | The system shall forward rail traffic advisories received from the Wayside Equipment to the traffic management center. | 01 | Traffic Operations need to be able to warn drivers of crossing closures in time for the driver to take appropriate action. |