Create or Modify a Rail Grade Crossing in Massachusetts

Here, you can review the rail crossing creation and modification process in Massachusetts.

Public Requests

Rail Transit Safety Division staff supervise the safe design, construction, and maintenance of highway-rail and pathway-rail crossings.  The Rail Transit Safety Division engineers evaluate requests to construct new rail crossings or modify existing crossings.  They also evaluate rail crossing configurations after train-related incidents occur at rail crossings, and review complaints regarding rail crossing safety or conditions. 

Requests for new rail crossings or modifications in Massachusetts must come from authorized individuals.  Some examples of authorized individuals are those employed or otherwise authorized by:

• Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)
• a Massachusetts city or town, including municipal consultants
• a County Commission
• the railroad carrier owning or operating that section of rail

To request a new public highway grade crossing or a modification, contact an authorized individual with your request.  That entity can then contact the Rail Transit Safety Division.  The Rail Transit Safety Division will partner with all stakeholders, including members of the public, to collect the required information and will carefully review the request.  

Authorized Individual Requests

If you are an authorized individual, you can fill out our request form here.

Public Safety Concerns

If you have a safety concern about a public highway grade crossing in Massachusetts, you can submit your concern for review.  Please visit our File a DPU Rail Safety Concern page.

Questions

If you have questions or concerns about the crossing review process in Massachusetts, you can contact the Rail Transit Safety Division at [e-mail].