Why are those blue and white signs at railroad crossings important?

When you find yourself halted at a railroad crossing or driving over the tracks, you might notice a blue sign nearby that you might not be aware of. June 24 was recognized as the first ever Emergency Notification System (ENS) Sign Awareness Day, aimed at highlighting the blue and white signs located at crossings across the U.S., including the approximately 4,800 crossings in Michigan.

The signs give drivers information that can help prevent a train-vehicle collision, potentially saving lives.

Lt. Rene Gonzalez of the Michigan State Police First District, which covers nine counties in central southern Michigan, posted a short video about the signs June 24 on X. Standing safely in front of a crossing and with the blue sign visible, he explained how ENS signs list the applicable railroad’s emergency contact phone number, as well as an identification number unique to each individual crossing.

In the event that a vehicle becomes immobilized or stranded on the tracks, it is recommended that the driver and all passengers exit the vehicle and move to a safe area. They should then call the number provided on the ENS sign and communicate the unique crossing number to the operator. “This will allow them to notify the train operators to halt the train until your vehicle can be removed,” Gonzalez explained.

The Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2008 mandated that all railroad companies install ENS signs at every crossing in the U.S. by 2017, including those that are temporarily or permanently closed. According to data from the Federal Railroad Administration, there was an average of 2,145 vehicle-train collisions annually at railroad crossings from 2020 to 2024, resulting in approximately 241 fatalities and 760 injuries each year.

In 2022, Michigan was ranked 12th among U.S. states for the highest number of train-vehicle collisions, with 56 incidents leading to five deaths and 24 injuries, as reported by the FRA.