# FRA Rail Grade Crossing iPhone and iPad App



## afigg (Jun 20, 2013)

The FRA has released an app called Rail Crossing Locator for iPhones and iPads. It provides information on 200,000 grade crossing in the US. Could be handy for basic info when an Amtrak grade crossing accident is in the news. Looked and it is available in the iTunes store. Free of course. Have not tried it out yet. Interesting and different app for the iPhone. Angry Birds will still have a lot more downloads.

The text of the FRA press release:



> *Federal Railroad Administration Launches New Smartphone App to Raise Awareness of Highway-Rail Grade Crossings*
> 
> WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced the launch of an iOS smartphone mobile application, the Rail Crossing Locator, which provides the public with easy access to safety information about the nation’s more than 200,000 highway-rail grade crossings.
> 
> ...


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## afigg (Jun 20, 2013)

Installed the Rail Crossing Locator on my iPhone and iPad. It is a dual iPhone and iPad app, BTW, so there is a full screen display on the iPad. The app shows all rail grade crossings in 3 colors, for at-grade and then seperated rail above or below crossing. Have not found a way to turn off the display of the seperated grade crossings so only at the at-grade crossings are shown because the map gets very cluttered showing every single crossing, public, private, seperated, at-grade, etc.

Still, this is an interesting way to see where the active tracks are and just how many grade crossings there are on a route.


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## the_traveler (Jun 20, 2013)

I just downloaded this app.

Without looking too far, I see a number of errors. Some include missing crossings - including one on Route 138 at the KIN station, which is above grade and has been in place for 70+ years! Other errors include at grade crossings on the NEC in RI. All at grade crossings in RI on the NEC have either been eliminated (the road severed into 2 dead end roads) or have been grade separated. This happened over 10 years ago.


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