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1/19/2026
Compiled by Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor
In December, BNSF Railway marked the 7,000th grade crossing it had closed across its network since 2000.
The crossing closed on McKinley Street in Corona, California, is located along the Class I’s busy Southern Transcon route between Los Angeles and Chicago and was the site of many collisions and trespassing incidents over the years.
“At BNSF, we believe the safest crossing is a closed crossing,” BNSF officials wrote in a social media post. “Every day, we partner with communities to build safer infrastructure.”
But it’s impossible to close every crossing. Since there are tens of thousands of crossings in the United States, railroads need to make them as safe as possible to help prevent accidents and incidents. So, they often turn to the supply community for ways to make crossing protection equipment more precise and more reliable.
To learn about the latest crossing products and services — including any recent innovations or enhanced offerings — Progressive Railroading reached out to a number of suppliers and service providers. Following is information collected by email from five of them.
HiRAIL Inc.
HiRAIL Inc. offers full-depth rubber grade crossings manufactured from recycled rubber. The crossings themselves also are recyclable once they reach the end of their life. The crossings are designed to fit timber ties of 8.5, 9 and 10 feet, company officials said.
In addition to fitting timber ties, HiRAIL rubber crossings can be manufactured to fit steel ties, as well as numerous concrete ties and fastening systems. HiRAIL also offers rubber rail seals manufactured from virgin rubber for light-duty or partially rehabilitated crossings.
CDL Group of Companies
Serrmi has enhanced its grade crossing portfolio with a patented Foldable Mast Ladder Platform (MLP) that’s designed to reduce installation time, crew size and exposure to risk at signal locations.
The Foldable MLP is provided largely preassembled on the mast and stacks efficiently for transport, then folds out into position in the field with minimal loose components, company officials said. Hinged worker platforms and support rails pivot from a stowed to a working position, with integrated ladder supports that remove much of the traditional on-site fabrication and bolting.
“The result is a safer, more repeatable way for signal maintainers to access signal heads and work at elevation, while reducing track time, crane time and overall overhead costs on crossing and intermediate signal projects,” CDL officials said.
In 2026, the company expects continued demand for grade crossing solutions that reduce on-track exposure and make better use of leaner signal crews.
“Railroads are under pressure to deliver renewal programs with tighter capital, fewer experienced technicians and increasing regulatory focus on safety,” CDL officials said. “What interests us is how modular, pre-engineered structures like the Foldable MLP can become standard building blocks for this work, helping crews do more with less while maintaining consistent safety and quality.”
The company also is closely monitoring evolving requirements and workforce turnover since both factors will drive further innovation in how crossing equipment is installed, accessed and maintained, they said.
Oculus Rail
Oculus Rail is a newly launched grade crossing monitoring service designed to provide communities real-time, objective data on blocked rail crossings — something that has never been available at scale in the United States, company officials said.
Oculus Rail’s AI-enabled sensors are designed to detect exactly when a train enters and clears a roadway, capturing precise blockage durations and time-stamped images for municipalities. Deployment is fast, simple and affordable because the sensors are fully wireless and solar-powered, avoiding the cost and delay of trenching or running power or fiber-optic cables, company officials said. The sensors are installed in the public right of way, so no railroad approvals are required.
The data feeds both a free mobile app for motorists and a paid customer dashboard that provides analytics for emergency routing, traffic operations and federal grant justification. Oculus Rail also offers integrated APIs so cities, public safety departments, DOTs and railroads can incorporate the company’s data directly into their existing systems.
In 2025, Oculus Rail deployed its first network of 40 sensors across four cities in Hampton Roads, Virginia — Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk and Portsmouth — creating one of the most comprehensive municipal datasets on blocked grade crossings in the country, company officials said.
Early insights have already revealed delays and patterns that were previously undocumented, and thousands of motorists are using the app notifications to help them avoid long waits at blocked crossings, they said.
Looking ahead, demand is strong. Blocked crossings are a top concern for local, state and federal leaders, yet no reliable, scalable data source has existed until now, Oculus Rail officials said.
The company’s low-cost annual data subscription provides an accessible way to quantify real-world impacts and support smarter, safer transportation planning while easing the frustration of motorists, they said.
OMNI Products Inc.
As 2026 unfolds, OMNI Products Inc. aims to remain firmly positioned at the forefront of custom grade crossing fabrication. The company provides supplies for high-profile rail projects across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
OMNI relies on decades of engineering expertise to tackle virtually any grade crossing challenge — from standard installations to extreme 30-plus-degree curves — with precision, durability and consistent performance, company officials said.
Whether customers need concrete panels, full-depth virgin rubber or one of OMNI’s proprietary virgin-rubber rail guard concrete tub modules, each solution is engineered for longevity and manufactured to exacting standards, they said. For its rubber products, the company offers a six-year factory warranty against rips and tears.
OMNI’s products include steel-reinforced rubber designed for demanding environments. Its original Virgin Rubber Railguard (VRA) and advanced VRA2 Railguard, both of which are manufactured in house, offer the toughest solid virgin rubber rail seal available, designed to stand up to the harshest rail conditions, company officials said.
Meanwhile, its ECR product line and improved concrete designs serve as flexible, application-specific options. In addition, proprietary TraCast concrete tub modules are available in two configurations, including custom wide, heavy-duty versions designed for extreme use.
The company’s newest addition, the TraCast 3 Heavy Duty Concrete Tub, offers exceptional strength and cost efficiency — an ideal solution for demanding installations, OMNI officials said.
Looking ahead, the company is preparing to launch its next major innovation: OMNI HDPE EnviroTrakPans, a high-density polyethylene spill containment system engineered for long-term reliability in rail environments. The system is designed for superior spill capacity and exceptional resistance to impacts, UV exposure and extreme temperatures.
The EnviroTrakPans system installs easily without motorized equipment and fit 115-pound rail and larger on both tangent and curved track, OMNI officials said. The HDPE pans can serve as a durable, cost-effective alternative for environmentally focused spill containment.
To meet diverse operational needs, OMNI also plans to continue providing a full array of steep spill pans in carbon, galvanized, stainless steel and aluminum.
Polycorp Ltd.
Polycorp Ltd. offers the EPFLEX® RailSeal, a field-proven solution and longstanding industry choice for new and rehabilitated grade crossings across North America, company officials said. Supported by decades of successful performance, EPFLEX RailSeal is designed to provide reliable protection in demanding rail environments.
EPFLEX safeguards infrastructure from vibration, impact and environmental stress. By sealing the rail from the surrounding crossing, it minimizes water ingress, enhances structural support and extends overall service life of the asset, providing stray current isolation when required, Polycorp officials said.
Engineered for versatility, EPFLEX is compatible with all crossing types, including asphalt and precast concrete panels. It creates smooth transitions at the road-rail interface, absorbing energy from rail deflection while reducing panel rocking and impact noise, company officials said.
EPFLEX maintains a consistent flangeway gap, supporting safe access for pedestrians, wheelchairs and bicycles, helping contribute to safer operations and improved community relations.
Engineered from high-performance rubber compounds, Polycorp-supported grade crossings provide consistent load distribution; enhanced protection of crossing assets; safe accessibility for vehicles, pedestrians and rail personnel; improved maintenance performance; and reduced noise and vibration, company officials said.
As the rail industry advances its focus on safety, sustainability and operational efficiency, Polycorp’s grade crossing solutions align with evolving regulatory requirements, infrastructure investment strategies and long-term economic goals, they said.
Polycorp is well positioned to support grade crossing projects through 2026, company officials believe. With strong supplier partnerships, reliable inventory planning and deep technical expertise, Polycorp can provide dependable support from design selection to installation to ongoing maintenance efforts.