Railroad / train crossing signs?

Question

I noticed in almost every country there is a X shaped sign at rail / road intersections. Why did they choose the X shaped sign? Does it mean something?

Answer 1

Good info above.  See link below for more.

Answer 2

This type of intersection is called an at-grade intersection; a junction at which two or more transport axes cross at the same level. That is why they use the "X" sign.

Answer 3

Simply because it is the most universally recognised symbol for 'crossing'

Answer 4

Its used to siginify the term level crossing (also called a railroad crossing, road through railroad, railway crossing, train crossing or grade crossing) which is a crossing on one level ("at-grade intersection") — without recourse to a bridge or tunnel — of a railway line by a road, path, or another railroad. It also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way (or a reserved track tramway) crosses a road.

The X is called a  crossbuck and its a sign composed of two slats of wood or metal of equal length, fastened together on a pole in a saltire formation (resembling the letter "x"). Crossbucks are usually used as traffic signs to indicate level railway crossings, sometimes supplemented by electrical warnings of flashing lights, a bell, and/or a gate that descends to block the road and prevent traffic from crossing the tracks.

Examples across the globe



Level crossing on China National Highway 109, Beijing, China. The crossbuck here looks like the US version; however, the warning sign in the foreground is European-styleIn the United States, the crossbuck carries the word "RAILROAD" on one arm and "CROSSING" on the other, in black text on a white background. Older variants simply used black and white paint, but 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.

In Canada, crossbucks have a red border and no lettering. These were installed in the 1980s shortly after English-French bilingualism was made official, replacing signs of a style similar to those used in the United States except the word "RAILWAY" was used instead.

In Mexico, the crossbucks read "CUIDADO CON EL TREN", which means "beware of the train".

In parts of Europe, the cross is white on a rectangular red background; in Finland the cross is yellow, trimmed with red.

In Taiwan, the cross is white with a red border. A special symbol in the center indicates an electric railroad crossing to caution road users not to have anything too high that may cause electric hazards.

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 "RAIL ROAD CROSSING", Australian signs say "RAIL WAY CROSSING" or "TRAM WAY 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.)

Answer 5

Indeed, as the above posters have said the "X" of a standard crossbuck, as it's known, simply refers to the two right-of-ways (roadway and railroad) crossing one another.

Answer 6

in the uk, its a triangle sign with a fence

Think some have a X sign tho.

http://www.equityphotographic.com/acatal...

Answer 7

An X signifies a crossing like the crossing of two lines that make the X.

Answer 8

This means  if you walk out there on the tracks, you'll become someone's X real fast!

Answer 9

X = cross

sometimes in the states they have the pedestrian X-ing means "crossing".