Post by National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada

As spring arrives and winter maintenance wraps up, researchers are studying how road safety practices used in colder months could affect railway crossing signals. Canada has more than 23,000 railway crossings that keep communities connected and goods moving. Safety at rail crossings is a top priority for both railway operators and municipalities. Our researchers are helping Canadian railway companies strengthen railway crossing safety through advanced technology-driven solutions. With support from the Transport Canada - Transports Canada’s Railway Safety Improvement Program, we collaborated with the Southern Railway of British Columbia Limited (SRY) to study how de-icing materials can affect the functionality of railway crossing signals. Through field testing, operator outreach, literature review, and lab experiments using a full-scale test bed in our climatic testing research facility, we identified how conductive materials may trigger unintended activations. These findings are helping railway operators plan ahead — ensuring crossing signals remain reliable in all weather conditions. Stay tuned for upcoming publications sharing our results and insights as we continue to improve transportation safety across Canada. #NRCTransportation

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