Editing Level crossing (section)

== History ==

The types of early level crossings varied by location, but often they had a [[Flagman (rail)|flagman]] in a nearby booth who, on the approach of a train, would wave a red flag or lantern to stop all traffic and clear the tracks. This was a dangerous job that cost the lives of gatekeepers or their family members, as the train was not given enough time to stop.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wojtczak |first=Helena |date=6 May 2019 |title=Female gatekeepers killed by trains 1846-1906. |url=https://www.railwayaccidents.port.ac.uk/female-gatekeepers-killed-by-trains-1846-1906/ |access-date=29 April 2024 |website=Railway Work, Life & Death |language=en-US}}</ref>

Gated crossings became commonplace in many areas, as they protected the railway from people trespassing and livestock, and they protected the users of the crossing when closed by the signalman/gateman. In the second quarter of the 20th century{{Citation needed|date=December 2020|reason=In Western Europe gates were common in 1875, likely before}}, manual or electrical [[boom barrier|closable gates]] that barricaded the roadway started to be introduced, intended to be a complete barrier against intrusion of any road traffic onto the railway. Automatic crossings are now commonplace in some countries as motor vehicles replaced [[horse-drawn vehicle]]s and the need for animal protection diminished with time. Full-, half- or no-barrier crossings superseded gated crossings, although crossings of older types can still be found in places. 
In rural regions with sparse traffic, the least expensive type of level crossing to operate is one without flagmen or gates, with only a warning sign posted. This type has been common across North America and in many developing countries.

Some international rules have helped to harmonise level crossing. For instance, the [[Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals|1968 Vienna Convention]] states (chapter 3, article 23b) that:
* "one or two blinking red light indicates a car should stop; if they are yellow the car can pass with caution".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified-compilation/19680245/|title=RS 0.741.20 Convention du 8 novembre 1968 sur la signalisation routière (avec annexes)|date=29 December 2016|website=Swiss Federal Government Portal|location=Vienna|language=fr|trans-title=RS 0.741.20: Convention of 8 November 1968 on the road signals (with appendices)|orig-year=1968|access-date=22 January 2019|quote=Un feu rouge clignotant; ou deux feux rouges, clignotant alternativement, dont l'un apparaît quand l'autre s'éteint, montés sur le même support à la même hauteur et orientés dans la même direction signifient que les véhicules ne doivent pas franchir la ligne d'arrêt ou, s'il n'y a pas de ligne d'arrêt, l'aplomb du signal; ces feux ne peuvent être employés qu'aux passages à niveau [et dans certaines autres circonstances]...un feu jaune clignotant ou deux feux jaunes clignotant alternativement signifient que les conducteurs peuvent passer, mais avec une prudence particulière.|edition=11 December 1992}}</ref>
* Article 27 suggests stop lines at level crossings.
* Article 33, 34, 35 and 36 are specific to level crossings, because level crossings are recognized as dangerous.
* Article 35 indicates a cross should exist{{clarify|date=December 2024}} when there is no barrier or lights.
This has been implemented in many countries, including countries which are not part of the Vienna Convention.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File:The Lineman (Laurits Andersen Ring) - Nationalmuseum - 21932.tif|A gateman at work at a gated crossing of the [[South Line (Denmark)|South Line]] in [[Denmark]].<br/>Painting by [[L. A. Ring]], 1884.<ref>{{Cite Q | Q106492615 }}</ref>
File:Thies 4323.jpg|Level crossing in [[Senegal]] (2020)
File:Level crossing in Hanoi.jpg|A level crossing at Hanoi, Vietnam, with crossing lights, electric bells, and half-barrier gates in their open position
</gallery>