It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Commonwealth that all crossings of one railroad by another, or a public highway by a railroad, or a railroad by a public highway, shall, wherever reasonably practicable, pass above or below the existing facility. And every railroad hereafter constructed across another railroad or across a public highway, and every public highway hereafter constructed across a railroad, shall, wherever it is reasonably practicable, and does not involve an unreasonable expense, all the circumstances of the case considered, pass above or beneath the existing structure at a sufficient elevation or depression, as the case may be, with easy grades, so as to admit of safe speedy travel over each.
If constructing a crossing either above or below the existing structure is not practical and involves an unreasonable expense, the responsible governing body constructing a new public crossing at grade, in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, shall take precautions to provide for the safe movement of traffic. It is the policy of the Commonwealth to limit the number of new public at grade crossings and to eliminate unnecessary crossings.
Code 1919, § 3972; 1996, cc. 114, 157.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 56 - Public Service Companies
Chapter 13 - Railroad Corporations
§ 56-345.1. Notice; consolidation, merger, abandonments, or discontinuances
§ 56-346. Certain powers conferred by law on railroad corporations
§ 56-347. Power of condemnation; limitation
§ 56-352. Railroad to have an insurable interest in property along its route
§ 56-353. Railroad company may appoint police agents
§ 56-354. Conductors, etc., to be conservators of the peace
§ 56-362. Right of railroad to cross watercourse, intervening railroad, etc.
§ 56-365.1. Closing and or consolidation of grade crossings
§ 56-368.1. Subsequent maintenance of underpasses and overpasses
§ 56-383. Railroad company may construct and maintain telegraph or telephone line
§ 56-405.02. Railroads to adjust certain public highways at grade crossings
§ 56-405.2. Construction and maintenance of crossbucks
§ 56-406.2. Proceeding for fixing cost of maintaining such warning devices at public grade crossings
§ 56-408. Signs similar to crossing signs prohibited
§ 56-411. Removal of brush and trees from right-of-way
§ 56-412. When trains shall be stopped before getting to railroad crossing
§ 56-412.1. Railroad cars obstructing street or road; standing vehicle on railroad track
§ 56-412.2. Ordinances conflicting with § 56-412.1
§ 56-412.3. Maintenance of certain roadways by Buchanan County
§ 56-413.01. Locomotive and rail car standards
§ 56-414. Bell and whistle or horn; when sounded
§ 56-415. Penalty for violation of § 56-414
§ 56-416. Effect of failure to give statutory signals
§ 56-417.1. Clearance to be provided in construction, etc., of railroad structures
§ 56-419. Duplicate switch keys of railroads; unlawful making, etc.; punishment
§ 56-419.2. Safety requirements applicable to vehicles transporting railroad employees
§ 56-428. Railroads liable for damage from fires set out by their engines or trains
§ 56-429. Company to erect fences along roadbed; cattle guards, etc.
§ 56-430. Construction of § 56-429; burden of proof
§ 56-431. When company not liable for injury on enclosed track
§ 56-432. Liability for injury on track not enclosed
§ 56-433. Cattle guards; remedy of aggrieved landowner; penalty
§ 56-434. When cattle guards may be discontinued
§ 56-435. Appeal from general district court to circuit court in cattle-guard cases
§ 56-436. Board of appraisers to appraise injured or killed livestock; duty of appraisers
§ 56-437. Effect of appraisal in case of suit; costs
§ 56-439. Application of §§ 56-436 through 56-438
§ 56-439.1. Notice of injury or death of certain livestock; penalty
§ 56-440. Penalty for failure to remove cause of complaint in cities or towns
§ 56-441. Liability for injury to employee
§ 56-446. Information to State Corporation Commission; penalty
§ 56-446.1. Limitations on passenger rail transportation liability