Designs of level crossings, where railway lines cross roads or other paths, vary from country to country.

Europe There were 108,196 level crossings in the European Union Member States in 2014. On average there are just under 0.5 level crossings per line-kilometre in the EU.Railway Safety in the European Union, Safety overview 2017, SBN 978-92-9205-383-3

doi:10.2821/813806 doi:10.2821/474487 TR-AG-17-101-EN-C TR-AG-17-101-EN-N

53% of all those level crossings are active level, where users are protected from or warned of approaching trains by devices activated when it is unsafe for the user to traverse the crossing. The remaining 47% of level crossings are unprotected. 28% of railway fatalities are from level crossing related incidents.

+ Number of level crossings in selected UNECE countriesSource: UNECE Member country Number of level crossings Belarus 1,746 Denmark 1,024 Greece 1,263 Italy 4,072 Latvia 652 Lithuania 543 Luxembourg 117 Poland 12,801 Romania 5,040 Sweden 6,911 Turkey 2,681

Belgium

Automatic level crossings in Belgium have two red lights, usually can be used with a single white light, electronic bells (originally used mechanical bells) and usually can be equipped with barriers. The bells used are similar to the ones used in Netherlands, replacing the old mechanical bells that rings until the barriers are fully lowered. The white light flashes for half a second at regular intervals to inform all drivers and pedestrians that they can cross the level crossing, and that the device is in working order, if there are no trains approaching. In some cases, the white light is absent; in that case overtaking on the crossing is not allowed (if there are no barriers). The bells starts to ring until the barriers are fully lowered and then usually stop. If the barriers are absent, the bell will continue ring until the trains have been passed. Some crossings have only crossbucks, and also sometimes traffic lights ahead to warn drivers of an approaching crossing with yellow warning lights on a traffic light. They are also in use with two or three lights and without barriers on tramways at De Panne (until 2021), Zwijndrecht (until 2019), Anderlues, Ghent, and MIVB Line 44 (only here with bells).

Estonia

Most protected crossings are equipped with LED-lights. Some were used with incandescent lights (Svetofor equipment), which are used from USSR with a pole with bells (ZPT-12, ZPT-24, Revun-2), lights (150mm, 200mm), and gate mechanisms (ASH-26065U). Non-gated crossings have a crossbuck mounted, but gated ones do not. All gated crossings have half-barriers though some are marginally longer than others. Bells may vary. Many crossings use the same bell sound used on Polish crossings, very rarely fire alarms, sometimes a simple high pitch beep that sounds the same as the normal Romanian e-bell. Some non-gated crossings have a white flashing light that flashes when the crossing is clear. In less populated areas, crossings are mounted with just a crossbuck and sometimes a stop sign added below to indicate a small crossing. A few Svetofor signals was still remained, however, due to their obsolescence, they were already being replaced. Newly recently refurbished level crossings uses the stylized equipment that is similar to the Spanish level crossings; features LED lights, bells, and gates when is used. The crossings found on the lines maintained by Eesti Raudtee use a crossing information sign below the lights with a telephone number to call in case of an emergency.https://www.err.ee/1164016/raudteeulesoidukohtade-infotahvlid-aitavad-paremini-asupaika-tuvastada

Finland

In Finland, level crossings with lights have the more common red and a white light that flashes except when the red flash. Most, but not all, crossings with lights also have barriers. Full-length barriers are usually used only for pedestrian and bicycle lanes. Half-length barriers are used for motor roads, to avoid the risk of a vehicle being trapped on the tracks between the barriers. Bells begin to ring when the red lights start flashing and usually stop when the barriers have come down. The Finnish crossbucks uses a yellow background with a red border are used on both controlled and uncontrolled level crossings. If there are two or more tracks in a crossing, the lower part of the crossbuck is used in a shape of a chevron. Only minor agricultural crossings may have no signs at all. On bigger roads there are usually also approach signs. Finnish level crossings are the sixth safest in Europe. Finland's state railway system has almost 3000 level crossings, according to TraFi. In Finland over the course of railway history many level crossing accidents have occurred, in comparison to Scandinavian countries. In Finland the maximum speed for trains on the rails with level crossings is 140 km/h.

France

French level crossings usually have automatic half barriers, a single red light on a circle backboard, and bells (11,200 out of 15,300). When the crossing activates, the red light flashes, the bells ring, and the barriers come down. Due to a crash at Allinges in 2008, the law since 2017 allows adding an extra blinking red light when the first red light might not be visible. Some crossings have a sign saying "" (automatic signal). French level crossings with more than one track have a sign saying "" (a train can hide another train).

As of 2016 France has level crossings (by comparison, there were in 1938 and in 1980). Of these, less than 0.4% are on national roads, 31.4% are on departmental roads and 68.2% are on town roads. The high-speed train lines are built with no level crossings, but high-speed trains are also used on conventional railway lines and exposed there to level crossing accidents.

100 crashes occurred at French level crossings in 2015, causing 26 fatalities. Most of these crashes are caused by misuse, e.g., trying to pass as the barriers are down or are closing, in violation of the French traffic code.

French crossbucks are white with red stripes that marks the ungated railroad crossing, can have a target board, which can be black or grey, depending on which type of the crossbuck fits with. Sometimes a stop sign is added below to indicate an ungated railroad crossing without barriers, which the drivers can pass the railroad crossing if no trains are approaching.

Greece

Greek crossings use two red lights, bells, barriers, and crossbucks with a yellow background with a red border; if the crossing has more than one track, an additional chevron is added below, indicating that the crossing has two or more tracks. The gated crossings tend to follow United States practice and use American-made crossing warning equipment. Ungated level crossings use crossbucks with stop signs added below, and can have signals if automatic. Crossings that are not automatic mostly have crossbucks with stop signs added below to indicate an ungated railroad crossing.

Hungary The Hungarian crossbuck is a white cutout sign with a red border, similar to the Czech crossbuck. It features an additional chevron if more than one tracks are present in one crossing. The crossbuck is usually oriented vertically, but horizontal ones can be found as well. Their orientation carries no meaning. The automatic lights are similar in shape to the Finnish ones, in that they have a single white light that flashes when the crossing is idling and two red lights that flash when is activated. They do not feature alarms, thus they make no sound when activated. They can be equipped with half-length barriers, or sometimes double half-length barriers to block the whole roadway; in the latter case the lowering of the additional barriers is delayed, to avoid closing vehicles into the crossing. A stop sign may be placed on the pole of the crossbuck (if automatic lights are present it is placed under them), indicating that the driver must stop at the crossing unconditionally, even if an idle signal is present, before proceeding.

In Hungary the white flashing light is called an idle signal, it means that the device is in working order, and the drivers may cross the railway without stopping if they deem it safe, yet should they still do so with caution. A dark device means the system is faulty, and drivers should stop at the crossing to make sure there is no train coming by. If the system detects a fault while the barriers are closed, it will lift them up slowly, and stop them at a slight angle instead of vertical, to make the fault stance unambiguous.

Old mechanical full length barriers can still be found in some places. They can have an additional bell, a pair of red lights, or both to alert drivers of the barrier being lowered. They do not feature a white idle signal, as they are operated manually. These are legacy solutions which are planned to be phased out.

Norway In Norway, level crossings have crossbucks colored in a white background with a red border, with similar lights to the German crossings, although the white light flash when the crossing is clear, instead of a yellow warning light, and the red light flashes, as do the lights on the barriers. The white light shines when the crossing is clear. The bells uses the same sound as the Swedish level crossings.

From 1998 to 2008 the Norwegian National Rail Administration () removed about 1000 level crossings, leaving about 3500 still in use. is the maximum speed for trains over level crossings. In addition, Oslo's and Bergen's tram or light rail systems have some level crossings. Most lines on the Oslo Metro () are free of them. Most of the level crossings were removed from the old suburban railways in the western parts of the city, when the lines were upgraded to metro standard, but some crossings are retained on the Holmenkollen Line.

Sweden

In Sweden there are 8,500 level crossings, according to Trafikverket, the Swedish Transport Administration (formerly Banverket, the Swedish Rail Administration). On public roads they have light signals with or without gates. On private roads there are level crossings without signals. Most accidents occur on crossings without gates. For many years there have been activities to reduce the number of accidents, usually by adding gates, or adding light signals if there were none. On the main lines many bridges have been built, and also anywhere a new road or new railway has been built. Still there are some level crossings left on the main lines. A train speed of 200 km/h is allowed in Sweden over level crossings, if there are gates and an obstacle detection unit. This unit detects cars on the track and prevents the gates from closing fully and stops the train. According to Trafikverket, in 15 years there has only been one serious collision between a car and a train on such a level crossing, when a car ran through the gates just in front of the train. Level crossings on electrified lines have a wide sign above the roadway at the barrier line saying "" (dangerous conduit). Some also have a sign saying "" (beware of trains).

Turkey Level crossings in Turkey have two red lights, alarms, barriers and, at most crossings, a large red light with the text displaying DUR (stop), which remains lit until trains have cleared the crossing. At the top of the signals, there is a white cross with letters saying Demiryolu Geçidi (railroad crossing). Additionally, each level crossing has a white sign under the signals with the red text on it that says Kırmızı ışıkta DUR (please stop at the red light), which reminds all pedestrians and drivers to stop when the red lights are lit.

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