Railroad and Trolley Crossings in San Diego

• A vehicle stuck or stalled on the tracks. The CPUC's ENS sign article says to get out immediately and move away from the tracks, then find the blue sign and call the emergency number on it. Call 911 as well, so police can manage traffic and help remove the vehicle.
• Someone hurt, a crash or fire, or a person on the tracks who could be hit. Call 911. NCTD's safety and security page asks the public to call 911 for transit emergencies and for violent or threatening acts. If you can do it safely, also call the number on the blue sign so the railroad can warn its trains.
• Never go around or under lowered gates, even if they seem stuck. The CPUC says to always obey crossing warning devices. MTS's Think FAST safety tips say to wait until all trains have cleared and the gates are back up.

Calling 911 does not replace the railroad call. Emergency dispatchers send police and fire crews; the railroad's dispatcher is the one who can contact trains heading toward the crossing.

Every public highway-rail crossing is supposed to have a blue and white Emergency Notification System (ENS) sign. The FRA's ENS page says the sign "gives the public critical emergency contact information" and tells you to:

1. "Locate the blue-and-white ENS sign at the grade crossing."
2. "Call the railroad's emergency contact number listed on the ENS sign."
3. "Communicate your location by providing the identification number and state the nature of the emergency to the dispatcher."

• What is on it. Under 49 CFR 234.309, the sign must show a toll-free number (some smaller railroads may use a local number at no extra cost to callers), a short explanation such as "Report emergency or problem to" the railroad, and the U.S. DOT National Crossing Inventory number for that crossing. The FRA says that number "identifies the exact location of the crossing to the railroads."
• Where to find it. The CPUC says the sign is typically mounted on the crossing warning device. Federal rules require one on each approach to the crossing, visible day and night; a sign placed on the signal equipment cabinet beside the tracks does not count. The CPUC's ENS guidance memo recommends extra signs facing pedestrians on the sidewalk.
• Why this guide does not list the numbers. The number depends on which railroad dispatches trains through that crossing, and the sign at the crossing is the authoritative source. Read it off the sign rather than a list.
• Missing or damaged sign. Federal rules require the responsible railroad to repair or replace a missing, damaged or unusable ENS sign no later than 30 calendar days after it learns of the problem. Report a missing sign to the railroad (MTS or NCTD, below). The CPUC says its inspectors check that the signs are present and legible.

Under 49 CFR 234.303, the number on the sign must accept reports of four kinds of problems at a highway-rail crossing:

• "A warning system malfunction." Gates stuck down with no train coming, gates that stay up when a train passes, flashing lights or bells that run with no train, a broken or missing gate arm.
• "A disabled vehicle or other obstruction blocking a railroad track." A stalled car, fallen tree branches, dumped items or other debris on the tracks.
• A blocked view. Anything that keeps drivers or pedestrians from seeing an approaching train for a reasonable distance, such as overgrown vegetation or stored equipment.
• "Any other unsafe condition at the highway-rail grade crossing."

What happens next is set out in 49 CFR 234.305. When a member of the public reports a warning system malfunction or an obstruction, the railroad must promptly try to notify the crews of every train authorized to run through the crossing before they reach it, then promptly contact the law enforcement agency for the area so it can direct traffic or help clear the tracks, and then investigate and fix the problem (or pass the report to the railroad that maintains the crossing). The CPUC gives one California example: an inspector in Vernon reported gates stuck down with no train coming, and railroad crews found vandals had cut wires in the signal equipment.

The federal rules apply to reports made through the number on the sign. A report made some other way, for example through a customer service line, is not covered by them, so for a crossing malfunction use the number on the sign.

Inside the City of San Diego, MTS owns the tracks of both the Trolley and the coastal line, NCTD operates and maintains the coastal line, several companies run trains, and the City owns the street. MTS's About MTS page and SD&AE fact sheet, and NCTD's System Safety Program Plan (May 2025), describe the arrangement:

The practical upshot: for anything at the crossing itself, the number on the blue sign reaches the railroad responsible for it. For the street around it, the City is responsible.

• Crossings with gates. Where a Trolley line crosses a street with gates and flashing lights, use the number on the blue sign for any malfunction. MTS says freight trains share some Trolley tracks and run when the Trolley is not in service, so a crossing can activate late at night.
• Crossings without a blue sign. The CPUC's ENS memo explains that California's traffic control manual allows the emergency information to be left off light rail crossings that have no automatic warning devices such as flashing lights and gates, which is common where the Trolley runs in or along a street. There, the round-the-clock contact MTS publishes is MTS Security, by call or text at 619-595-4960. MTS says the line accepts photos and videos and asks for details such as the train number, direction and line. In an emergency, call 911.
• Non-urgent problems. For something that is not a hazard, such as rough pavement inside the track area, use MTS's customer feedback form with the Trolley category and the line, or call Customer Service at 619-557-4555 (weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; voicemail after hours). MTS says cases are assigned to a department within one to two business days. Its contact page lists the other MTS numbers.
• Orange Line construction. MTS's Rail Ready project is replacing tracks, signals, crossing gates and pedestrian crossings on the Orange Line between the 32nd & Commercial station and El Cajon, with construction expected through spring 2029 and weekend track closures. The project page lists closure dates.

Problems at a Trolley station platform, shelter or ticket machine are covered in our bus and Trolley stop problems guide.

The coastal line runs from Oceanside to downtown San Diego; NCTD's COASTER page says the COASTER serves eight stations between Oceanside and downtown. NCTD's safety plan counts 27 CPUC-approved public crossings on the whole main line from the Orange County line to San Diego, and says each has flashing lights and bells and all road crossings have gates.

• Malfunctions and obstructions. Use the number on the blue sign, whether the train you saw was a COASTER, an Amtrak Pacific Surfliner or a freight train. The crossing belongs to the line, not to the train operator.
• Suspicious activity. NCTD asks you to tell transit staff, or if none is around, call 760-966-6700. It lists people walking on or near the tracks among the behaviors to report. For emergencies, call 911.
• Non-urgent problems. NCTD Customer Service, 760-966-6500 (TTY/TDD 866-735-2929 or 711), or the contact form.

A bumpy crossing is usually split between two owners. The CPUC's General Order 72-B says it is normally the railroad's job to maintain the crossing area between lines 2 feet outside the rails of each track (and the area between tracks that are 15 feet or less apart), and the job of the agency with jurisdiction over the road to maintain the approaches and everything else. It also says the road surface should match the level of the rails, and that the crossing's alignment and profile should be kept substantially as built.

• Between and right next to the rails. Report to the railroad: MTS (619-557-4555 or the feedback form) for a Trolley crossing, NCTD (760-966-6500) for the coastal line. If a broken surface or a raised rail is a hazard to traffic, use the number on the blue sign.
• The street on either side. In the City of San Diego, report a pothole on the approach through Get It Done's Pothole form or app, and say in the description that it is next to a railroad or Trolley crossing. Our potholes guide covers how to report and how repairs are scheduled.

If you are not sure which side of the line the damage is on, a photo that shows the rails and the pavement together lets whoever receives it route it.

• The state rule on paper. The CPUC's General Order 135 says a public crossing blocked by a stopped train, other than a passenger train, must be opened within 10 minutes unless no vehicle or pedestrian is waiting. It sets no limit for a moving train continuing in the same direction, and exempts blocking caused by things such as mechanical failures, train accidents and other conditions outside the railroad's control, though the crossing must still be cleared with reasonable dispatch. It also says a train crew must take all reasonable steps to clear a crossing when a peace officer, firefighter or emergency vehicle driver tells them an emergency requires it.
• The court ruling. In 2012, in People v. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (No. A133559), the California Court of Appeal reversed a railroad's conviction under General Order 135, concluding that the order is preempted by federal law.
• Federal rules. The FRA's report to Congress on blocked crossings says its regulations do not specifically address how long a train may occupy a crossing, whether stopped or moving. The FRA collects reports through its Blocked Crossing Incident Reporter, which it uses to identify problem locations and work with railroads and communities. The reporter itself says not to use it for emergencies and to use the blue ENS sign instead.
• Do not climb through or between rail cars. The FRA lists people crawling between stopped railcars among the risks of blocked crossings.

If a stopped train is keeping an ambulance or fire engine from getting through, or someone needs emergency help on the other side, call 911. If the gates are down and lights flashing with no train at all, that is a malfunction: call the number on the blue sign.

• Someone on the tracks who could be hit. Call 911. At a crossing, also call the number on the blue sign so trains can be warned.
• Debris or an object on the tracks at a crossing. This is one of the conditions the ENS number must accept. Do not go onto the tracks to move it yourself.
• Trespassing away from a crossing. On the Trolley system, contact MTS Security at 619-595-4960. On the coastal line, NCTD's suspicious activity line is 760-966-6700. MTS's safety tips say to stay off the tracks at all times except when crossing in designated crosswalks. In a 2021 announcement, NCTD said the San Diego County Sheriff's Transit Enforcement Services Unit patrols the coastal corridor, and that people cited for crossing illegally or trespassing on the rail right-of-way can face fines of up to $500 and up to six months in jail.

The City's Get It Done illegal dumping report covers the public right-of-way, meaning the street or sidewalk, so dumping on the street or sidewalk next to a crossing goes to the City; see our illegal dumping guide.

• The crossing's own lights, bells and gates belong to the railroad: use the number on the blue sign.
• A City traffic signal, stop sign or striping near the crossing goes to the City through Get It Done (Traffic Signal, Traffic Sign or Faded Striping). For urgent street problems, the City's Street Division is at 619-527-7500. Our traffic signals and signs guide explains these forms.
• Train horns and quiet zones. Where a City has a federally recognized quiet zone, trains do not routinely sound their horns at its crossings, provided the crossings meet federal safety requirements. In January 2024, the City's news release said it had installed more than 120 railroad crossing signs and updated road markings at 12 downtown crossings so the FRA could reinstate the downtown quiet zone. For other noise questions, see our noise complaints guide.

As of November 4, 2026, the City's guide to Get It Done reports has no report type for railroad or Trolley crossings. The Other form exists for problems that fit no category, but the City says those are not automatically processed and may take longer to review.

The CPUC's rail safety page says it has exclusive jurisdiction over rail crossings in California. Its Rail Crossings and Engineering Branch says its engineers review complaints about rail crossing safety or conditions, and that engineers are assigned by county. To raise a recurring problem, such as gates that keep failing or a crossing surface the railroad has not fixed, first report it to the railroad, then contact the engineer for San Diego County shown on the branch's contact page and territory map. This is not an emergency line.

• The crossing number. The U.S. DOT number from the blue sign pinpoints the crossing for the railroad. If there is no sign, give the street name and the nearest cross street or Trolley station.
• What is wrong. Gates down, up or broken; lights or bells on with no train; something on the tracks; or a blocked view. Say whether traffic is backing up or cars are going around the gates.
• When. The time you saw it and how long it has been going on. For a Trolley, MTS asks for the train number, direction and line if you have them.
• A photo, from a safe spot. Never stand on the tracks or inside the gates to take it. MTS Security accepts photos by text; for Get It Done, a photo that shows the surroundings helps crews find the spot.