A crossbuck is a

traffic sign Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduce ...

used to indicate a level railway crossing. It is composed of two slats of wood or metal of equal length, fastened together on a pole in a

saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltatori ...

formation (resembling the letter X). Crossbucks are sometimes supplemented by electrical warnings of flashing lights, a bell, or a boom barrier that descends to block the road and prevent traffic from crossing the tracks.

Vienna Convention

The

Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals The Convention on Road Signs and Signals, commonly known as the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, is a multilateral treaty designed to increase road safety and aid international road traffic by standardising the signing system for ro ...

, a multilateral treaty of the United Nations with the intention of standardizing traffic signs around the world, prescribes several different regulations for the "crossbuck" sign. The sign should consist of two arms not less than long, crossed in the form of an Emojione BW 2716

. The first model may have a white or yellow ground with a thick red or black border. The second model may have a white or yellow ground with a thin black border and an inscription, such as "RAILWAY CROSSING". If lateral clearance obstructs the placement of the sign, it may be rotated 90° so that its points are directed vertically. If used at a level crossing with more than 1 set of tracks, a half cross or a supplementary plate stating the number of tracks may be added below. Most countries use one of these models: File:Vienna Convention road sign A-28a-V1-1.svg,

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

, and other nations File:Vienna Convention road sign A-28a-V1-2.svg,

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

File:Vienna Convention road sign A-28a-V1-3.svg File:Vienna Convention road sign A-28a-V1-4.svg File:Vienna Convention road sign A-28a-V1-1-EA.svg,

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the nort ...

, and

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre ...

File:Vienna Convention road sign A-28a-V1-2-EA.svg File:Vienna Convention road sign A-28c-V1-1.svg File:Vienna Convention road sign A-28c-V1-2.svg

Variants around the world

In the United States, the crossbuck carries the words "RAIL" and "ROAD" on one arm and "CROSSING" on the other ("RAIL" and "ROAD" are separated by the "CROSSING" arm), in black text on a white background. Older variants simply used black and white paint; newer installations use a reflective white material with non-reflective lettering. Some antique U.S. crossbucks were painted in other color schemes, and used glass " cat's eye" reflectors on the letters to make them stand out. Other countries, such as China, also use this layout, but with appropriately localized terms. Often, a supplemental sign below the crossbuck indicates the number of tracks at the crossing. A special kind of crossing sign assembly was introduced on an experimental basis in

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

in 1992, the "Buckeye Crossbuck". It included an enhanced crossbuck, reflective and with red lettering, and also a reflective plate reading "YIELD" below the crossbuck, whose sides are bent backwards in order to catch and reflect at a right angle the light of an approaching train. The experiment's final report gave the device a favorable review; however, the plate, R15-9 "Crossbuck Shield", was rejected for inclusion in the 2003

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices The ''Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways'' (usually referred to as the ''Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices'', abbreviated MUTCD) is a document issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the Unit ...

. (2003-11-20) "Given the strong response opposing the proposal, the FHWA believes that the proposal of the Crossbuck Shield was premature and removes all text and graphic references regarding the Crossbuck Shield sign from this final rule." In Canada, crossbucks have a red border and no lettering. These were installed in the 1980s shortly after English-French

bilingualism Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all ...

was made official, replacing signs of a style similar to those used in the U.S., except the word "RAILWAY" was used instead of "RAILROAD" and in certain areas the words "TRAVERSE DE CHEMIN DE FER" were used. In Mexico, the crossbucks read "CRUCERO FERROCARRIL", a literal translation of its U.S. counterpart. Older designs read "CUIDADO CON EL TREN", meaning "beware of the train". In Argentina, the most common legend is "PELIGRO FERROCARRIL" ("danger: railroad"). Other crosses also read "CUIDADO CON LOS TRENES - PARE MIRE ESCUCHE ("beware of the trains - stop, look, listen") for the Ferrocarril Belgrano, "PASO A NIVEL - FERRO CARRIL" for the

Ferrocarril Mitre Futbol Club Sonsonate is a Salvadoran professional football club based in Sonsonate, El Salvador. The club plays its home games at Estadio Anna Mercedes Campos, a stadium located in the City suburb of Sonsonate, Sonsonate, since 2009. The team is ...

and "CUIDADO CON LOS TRENES" ("beware of the trains") for the

Ferrocarril Roca The General Roca Railway (FCGR) (native name: Ferrocarril General Roca) is a broad gauge railway in Argentina which runs from Constitución station in Buenos Aires to the south of the country through the provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, ...

. In parts of Europe, the cross is white with red trimmings or ends, sometimes on a rectangular background; in

and

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

the cross is yellow, trimmed with red. Taiwan uses two crossbucks: a version with a yellow and black cross, and one with the cross in white with a red border. A special symbol in the center indicates an electric railroad crossing, cautioning road users about excessive height cargo that may contact the electric wires. In Australia, the crossbuck is a St Andrews Cross as in Europe, but uses words and the same color as the American crossbuck. In contrast to the American "RAILROAD CROSSING", Australian signs say "RAILWAY CROSSING" or "TRAMWAY CROSSING". (Most cases where a tram in its own right-of-way crosses a road do not use a crossbuck and so are regular intersections rather than level crossings.) Different countries may classify the sign differently. For example, in Australia it is considered a

regulatory sign A regulatory sign is used to indicate or reinforce traffic laws, regulations or requirements which apply either at all times or at specified times or places upon a street or highway, the disregard of which may constitute a violation, or a sign in g ...

, while in close neighbour New Zealand it is considered a

warning sign A warning sign is a type of sign which indicates a potential hazard, obstacle, or condition requiring special attention. Some are traffic signs that indicate hazards on roads that may not be readily apparent to a driver. While warning traffi ...

. Some countries, such as Australia, France, New Zealand, Slovakia and Slovenia may place the crossbuck design on a "target board", while other countries quite often do not. In the United Kingdom, it is only used for crossings with no barriers or signal lights.

Crossbucks of the world

File:France road sign G1.svg, Algeria, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, France, Morocco, Senegal File:Ukraine road sign 1.29.gif, Afghanistan, Belarus, Ukraine File:Argentina P-3A.svg, Argentina File:Pare mire escuche.svg, Argentina (used in the FC Belgrano) File:Peligro ferrocarril.svg, Argentina (variant) File:Australia road sign R6-24.svg, Australia File:Australia R6-25.svg, Australia (variant) File:Gefahrenzeichen 6d.svg, Austria File:Gefahrenzeichen 6d Tafel.svg, Austria (variant) File:Bangladesh road sign B47 A.svg, Bangladesh, United Kingdom (used at crossings without barriers) File:Belgian road sign A45.svg, Belgium File:Bosnia and Herzegovina Railroad Crossbuck.png, Bosnia and Herzegovina File:Czech Republic road sign A 32a.svg, Botswana, Czech Republic File:Botswana road sign - Railroad Crossbuck (old).svg, Botswana (variant, former) File:Brazil Railroad Crossbuck.png, Brazil File:Brasil A-41a.svg, Brazil (variant) File:Cambodia road sign R3-09.svg, Cambodia File:Canadian Railroad Crossing Sign.svg, Canada, Chile, Pakistan File:Canadian Railway Crossbuck (with red backing board).png, Canada (variant) File:Canadian Railway Crossing Sign (English) (old).svg, Canada (former) File:Canadian Railway Crossing Sign (French) (old).svg, Canada (formerly used in Quebec) File:Chile road sign PI-2a.svg, Chile, Colombia File:Crossbuck of China.svg, China File:Colombia road sign SP-54 (old).svg, Colombia (variant) File:Costa Rica Railroad Crossbuck.png, Costa Rica File:Denmark road sign A74.1.svg, Denmark File:Singapore road sign - Warning - Level crossing - Historic.svg, Egypt, Germany (horizontal variant), Malaysia File:Finland road sign A29.1.svg, Finland File:Finland road sign 176 (1932-1974).png, Finland (variant, former) File:1.3.1 Georgian road sign.svg, Georgia File:Germany Railroad Crossbuck.png, Germany, Syria File:Bild - Andreaskreuz stehend mit Blitzpfeil.svg, Germany (variant for electrified tracks), Slovakia File:Zeichen 201-53 - Andreaskreuz mit Blitzpfeil (liegend), StVO 1992, 2013.svg, Germany (horizontal variant for electrified tracks) File:Nederlands verkeersbord J12.svg, Ghana, Netherlands File:Traffic Sign GR - KOK 2009 - K-36.svg, Greece File:Attention to the Trains old Greek road sign.png, Greece (variant, former) File:Guatemala Railroad Crossbuck.png, Guatemala File:Latvia road sign 134.svg, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania File:Hungary road sign A-043.svg, Hungary File:Indonesian Road Sign b1c.png, Indonesia File:Isle of Man Railroad Crossbuck.png, Isle of Man File:Gefahrenzeichen 6d liegend.svg, Israel File:Italian traffic signs - croce di S.Andrea.svg, Italy, Turkey File:Jamaica road sign W23.svg, Jamaica, United States (variant) File:Taiwan Railway Crossbuck (black and yellow).svg, Japan, Taiwan, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, (and remnant at one signal in the Philippines at Paco Station, Manila) File:Jordan road sign W٢٨٫١.svg, Jordan, Luxembourg File:RU road sign 1.3.1.svg, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia File:Uganda Railroad Crossbuck.png, Kenya, Uganda File:CH-Vortrittssignal-Einfaches Andreaskreuz.svg, Liechtenstein, Switzerland File:CH-Vortrittssignal-Einfaches Andreaskreuz 2.svg, Liechtenstein (variant) File:Mexico crossbuck.svg, Mexico File:Namibia Railroad Crossbuck.png, Namibia File:New Zealand road sign W15-3.svg, New Zealand File:New Zealand road sign W15-3.1.svg, New Zealand (variant) File:Nigeria Railroad Crossbuck.png, Nigeria File:NO road sign 138.1.svg, Norway File:Pakistan Railroad Crossbuck.png, Pakistan (variant) File:Panama crossbuck.svg, Panama File:Peru road sign P-44.svg, Peru File:Philippines road sign W7-1.svg, Philippines File:Philippines road sign W7-4.svg, Philippines (variant) File:PL road sign G-3.svg, Poland File:Portugal road sign A32a.svg, Portugal File:Romania Railroad Crossbuck.png, Romania File:Romania road sign A49.svg, Romania (variant used at unguarded crossings) File:Saudi Arabia Railroad Crossbuck.png, Saudi Arabia File:Senegal Railroad Crossbuck.png, Senegal File:Serbian road sign I-34.svg, Serbia File:Dopravná značka A30a.svg, Slovakia File:A 30a - Výstražný kríž pre železničné priecestie jednokoľajové (so zvýraznením).png, Slovakia (reflective plating variant) File:Slovenia road sign I-38 (Historic).svg, Slovenia File:Spain traffic signal p11.svg, Spain File:South Korea Railway Crossbuck.svg, South Korea File:Sweden road sign A39-1.svg, Sweden File:Thai Railroad Crossing Sign.svg, Thailand File:Tunisia Railroad Crossbuck.png, Tunisia File:Turkey Railroad Crossbuck.png, Turkey (variant) File:United Arab Emirates Railroad Crossbuck.png, United Arab Emirates File:MUTCD R15-1.svg, United States File:Inverted Railroad Crossbuck.png, United States (inverted variant) File:Buckeye Railroad Crossbuck.png, United States (experimental version used in Ohio for a time) File:United States Black Railroad Crossbuck.png, United States (variant, former) File:Uruguay Railroad Crossbuck.png, Uruguay File:Venezuela road sign P3-16.svg, Venezuela File:Zambia W42 (old).svg, Zambia

Multiple tracks

Several countries use a sign to indicate that multiple tracks must be crossed at a level crossing. In Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.S., a sign is mounted beneath the crossbuck (above the warning light assembly, if any) with the number of tracks. Many European countries use multiple crossbucks or additional

chevron Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to: Science and technology * Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines * Chevron (anatomy), a bone * '' Eulithis testata'', a moth * Chevron (geology), a fold in rock la ...

s ("half-crossbucks") below the first one. Taiwan also uses half-crossbucks below the regular crossbuck. File:Vienna Convention road sign A-28b-V1-1.svg, Vienna Convention sign with "half cross" File:Vienna Convention road sign A-28b-V1-1-EA.svg, Vienna Convention sign with "half cross" (stripes variant) File:Vienna Convention road sign A-28c-V3-1.svg, Vienna Convention sign with supplementary plate File:Ukraine road sign 1.30.gif, Afghanistan, Belarus, Ukraine File:Argentina P-3B.svg, Argentina File:Australia R6-24 (multiple tracks).svg, Australia File:Australia R6-25 (multiple tracks).svg, Australia (variant) File:Gefahrenzeichen 6d doppelt.svg, Austria File:Gefahrenzeichen 6d doppelt Tafel.svg, Austria (variant) File:Bangladesh road sign B47 B.svg, Bangladesh File:Belgian road sign A47.svg, Belgium File:Brasil A-41b.svg, Brazil File:Cambodia road sign R3-10.svg, Cambodia File:Canadian Railroad Crossing Sign.svg, Canada File:Canada Railway Crossing Number of Tracks Tab.svg, Canada File:Chile PI-2b.svg, Chile File:Colombia road sign SP-54 (2 tracks).svg, Colombia File:A32b CZ.svg, Czech Republic File:Denmark road sign A74.2.svg, Denmark File:Finland road sign A29.2.svg, Finland File:Finland road sign 177 (1932-1974).png, Finland (variant, former) File:1.3.2 Georgian road sign.svg, Georgia File:Traffic Sign GR - KOK 2009 - K-37.svg, Greece File:Latvia road sign 135.svg, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania File:Hungary road sign A-044.svg, Hungary File:Indonesian Road Sign b1d.png, Indonesia File:Gefahrenzeichen 6d doppelt liegend.svg, Israel File:Italian traffic signs - Doppia croce di Sant'Andrea.svg, Italy File:Jordan road sign W٢٨٫٣.svg, Jordan File:RU road sign 1.3.2.svg, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia File:CH-Vortrittssignal-Doppeltes Andreaskreuz.svg, Liechtenstein, Switzerland File:CH-Vortrittssignal-Doppeltes Andreaskreuz 2.svg, Liechtenstein (variant) File:Nederlands_verkeersbord_J13.svg, Netherlands File:New Zealand PW-14 (multiple tracks).svg, New Zealand File:New Zealand PW-14b (multiple tracks).svg, New Zealand (variant) File:NO road sign 138.2.svg, Norway File:Peru road sign P-44A.svg, Peru File:PL road sign G-4.svg, Poland File:Portugal road sign A32b.svg, Portugal File:Romania road sign A50.svg, Romania (variant used at unguarded crossings) File:Serbia road sign I-34.1.svg, Serbia File:Dopravná značka A30b.svg, Slovakia File:A 30b - Výstražný kríž pre železničné priecestie viackoľajové (so zvýraznením).png, Slovakia (reflective plating variant) File:Slovenia road sign I-38.1 (Historic).svg, Slovenia File:Spain traffic signal p11a.svg, Spain File:Sweden road sign A39-3.svg, Sweden File:Tunisia Railroad Crossbuck Multi Track.png, Tunisia File:Turkey road sign T-27b.svg, Turkey File:MUTCD Sign Assembly - R15-1 with R15-2P.svg, United States File:Venezuela road sign P3-16-1.svg, Venezuela

Advance warning

Several countries include the crossbuck iconography in their

s for a railway crossing ahead. File:Vienna Convention road sign Aa-26b-V1.svg, Vienna Convention sign (triangle) File:Vienna Convention road sign Ab-26b-V1.svg, Vienna Convention sign (diamond) File:Australia road sign W7-4.svg, Australia, New Zealand File:Australia Rail Crossing sign (W7-3).svg, Australia (variant, former) File:Australia RX-7 (R).svg, Australia (side road) File:Australia RX-11.svg, Australia (variant with warning lights) File:Bolivia Railroad Crossing Ahead Sign.png, Bolivia File:Brasil A-39.svg, Brazil File:Chile road sign PI-1a.svg, Chile File:Colombia road sign SP-52.svg, Colombia File:Iraq Railroad Crossing Sign.png, Iraq File:Ireland road sign 127.svg, Ireland (former) File:Jamaica road sign W20.svg, Jamaica File:Mexico road sign SP-35.svg, Mexico File:Panama P-39.svg, Panama (variant for railroad crossings without gates and lights) File:Panama P-41.svg, Panama (variant for railroad crossings without gates but with lights) File:Peru road sign P-42.svg, Peru File:Philippines road sign W7-3.svg, Philippines File:Philippines road sign W7-2.svg, Philippines (variant for railroad crossings without gates and lights) File:MUTCD W10-1.svg, United States File:MUTCD Sign Assembly - W10-1 with W10-1aP.svg, United States (dormant railroad crossing) File:Uruguay Road Sign P38.svg, Uruguay

References

External links

Part 8. Traffic Control for Railroad and Light Rail Transit Grade Crossings
U.S.

, 2009 ed. {{Railway signalling Level crossings Railway safety Traffic signs