Specialized Grade Crossing Engineering Projects
Benesch provides highly specialized engineering services for various clients on thousands of complex highway/rail grade crossings across the country. Design services aimed to mitigate or eliminate safety risks, including grade crossing engineering and diagnostic inspections, railroad preemption, quiet zones, railroad signal design of warning systems, wayside signals and control points.
Grade Crossing Diagnostic Inspections
Benesch provides grade crossing safety assessments for freight and commuter railroads. Our team reviews and analyzes all aspects of grade crossing safety to comply with MUTCD requirements, AREMA-recommended practices and current industry best practices. Additionally, Benesch provides grade crossing diagnostic inspections and other safety analyses for new grade crossings or upgrades to existing grade crossings. Our process includes an extensive pre-diagnostic procedure to review all relevant documents and aerial imagery, as well as a thorough review of the grade crossing imagery with the client.
Railroad Preemption
Railroad preemption services include the design and analysis of the interconnection of grade crossing warning systems with nearby traffic signal intersections, including conceptual traffic signal design encompassing traffic signal preemption, timing and signal phasing. Projects also include inspection and cutover support to ensure the preemption is operating in accordance with the design. We also train state, federal, local and railroad agencies across the county on proper railroad preemption design and implementation. Our team has provided these services for Class I railroads, commuter railroads, state DOTs, as well as local agencies.
Quiet Zones
Benesch assists local agencies as well as Class I, short line and passenger railroads with quiet zone design, implementation and inspection. We also provide quiet zone-compliant calculations, as well as assistance with Notice of Intents (NOI), Notice of Establishments (NOE), and Public Authority Applications (PAA) to ensure agencies are successful in completing the quiet zone process and obtaining approvals from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
Railroad Signal Design
Our team has designed grade crossing warning systems and railroad wayside signals for Class I, commuter, regional and short-line railroads, along with numerous public agencies and consultants. Engineering services include diagnostic inspections, concept plans, detailed signal circuit plans, estimates, specifications and in-service testing. We also perform forensic analyses of grade crossing warning systems and train control systems, including post-incident inspections, analysis and litigation services.
