§234.309. ENS signs in general. — Inbound Citations

(1) Where more than one railroad maintains the same crossing, the maintaining railroads for the crossing shall appoint one of the railroads to be responsible for the placement and maintenance of the ENS sign(s) at the crossing pursuant to §§ 234.309 and 234.311.

(a) A dispatching railroad may use a third-party telephone service to receive reports of unsafe conditions at highway-rail and pathway grade crossings pursuant to § 234.303. If a dispatching railroad chooses to use a third-party telephone service, the third-party telephone service shall be reached directly and promptly by the telephone number displayed on the ENS sign pursuant to § 234.309. The third-party telephone service may use an automated answering system for the purpose of receiving such reports. The dispatching railroad shall have a live person answer calls directly and promptly from the third-party telephone service, unless permitted pursuant to § 234.303(b) to use an answering machine. The dispatching railroad shall ensure that the third-party telephone service complies with the applicable requirements of § 234.307.

(1) The maintaining railroad, or the railroad appointed pursuant to § 234.306(b), for a highway-rail or pathway grade crossing shall place and maintain a sign on each approach to the crossing that conforms to § 234.309, except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

(1) If a railroad subject to this subpart already has ENS signs in place, and those signs do not conform to the requirements in § 234.309 on August 13, 2012, the railroad's ENS signs shall conform to § 234.309 no later than as required below:

(i) If the railroad's sign size is greater than or equal to 60 square inches and the height of the lettering on the sign is greater than or equal to 3/4 inch for the information required in § 234.309(b)(1) and (b)(3), and greater than or equal to 3/8 inch for the information required in § 234.309(b)(2) on August 13, 2012, the railroad may maintain the sign for its useful life.

(ii) If the railroad's sign size is greater than or equal to 60 square inches but the height of the lettering is either less than 3/4 inch for the information required in § 234.309(b)(1) and (b)(3), or less than 3/8 inch for the information required in § 234.309(b)(2) on August 13, 2012, the railroad's sign must conform to § 234.309 no later than September 1, 2017.

(iii) If the railroad's sign size is less than 60 square inches, regardless of the height of the lettering for the information required in § 234.309(b), on August 13, 2012, the railroad's sign must conform to § 234.309 no later than September 1, 2015.

(iii) If the railroad's sign size is less than 60 square inches, regardless of the height of the lettering for the information required in § 234.309(b), on August 13, 2012, the railroad's sign must conform to § 234.309 no later than September 1, 2015.

(i) If the railroad's sign size is greater than or equal to 60 square inches and the height of the lettering on the sign is greater than or equal to 3/4 inch for the information required in § 234.309(b)(1) and (b)(3), and greater than or equal to 3/8 inch for the information required in § 234.309(b)(2) on August 13, 2012, the railroad may maintain the sign for its useful life.

(i) If the railroad's sign size is greater than or equal to 60 square inches and the height of the lettering on the sign is greater than or equal to 3/4 inch for the information required in § 234.309(b)(1) and (b)(3), and greater than or equal to 3/8 inch for the information required in § 234.309(b)(2) on August 13, 2012, the railroad may maintain the sign for its useful life.

(i) If the railroad's sign size is greater than or equal to 60 square inches and the height of the lettering on the sign is greater than or equal to 3/4 inch for the information required in § 234.309(b)(1) and (b)(3), and greater than or equal to 3/8 inch for the information required in § 234.309(b)(2) on August 13, 2012, the railroad may maintain the sign for its useful life.