Railroad Crossing Protocols for School Buses
School buses have more stringent railroad crossing requirements than other commercial vehicles because they carry children and have no alternative routing options. Under 49 CFR Part 392.10, school buses must stop at all railroad crossings — not yield, not slow down — but come to a complete stop. The stop must be made no less than 15 feet and no more than 50 feet from the nearest rail. This zone places the bus far enough from the tracks that a train passing at speed will not strike the bus or create dangerous pressure waves, while keeping the bus visible to approaching trains. After stopping, the driver must: (1) turn on the hazard flashers; (2) open the service door and the driver's window; (3) look and listen in both directions for approaching trains; (4) when certain no train is approaching, proceed across the tracks without stopping again. Once the crossing has been initiated, the driver must not stop on the tracks under any circumstances. A critical rule: do not change gears while crossing the tracks. Shifting gears mid-crossing can cause the transmission to disengage at the worst possible moment, stalling the vehicle on the tracks. Approach the crossing in a gear that will allow you to cross completely without shifting. The exception to the mandatory stop rule includes railroad crossings that are exempt and marked with a yellow X sign (exempt crossings where rail operations have ceased). These exempt crossings do not require a stop.