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Level Crossing Wait Time Calculator

Work out level crossing wait time instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Level Crossing Wait Time Calculator

Only vehicles arriving while the barriers are down are delayed, and on average they wait half the closure time. Multiplying that by the probability of arriving during a closure gives the mean delay across all vehicles, and the queue at reopening is the arrival rate times the closure duration.

Formula

Crossing delay

closed share = trains/h x closure time / 3600; average wait = (closure / 2) x closed share

Worked example

With the default values below, Level Crossing Wait Time Calculator returns Average wait per vehicle of 7.52. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Trains per hour
6 tph
Barrier closure per train
95 s
Road vehicles per hour
480 veh/h

Results

Average wait per vehicle
7.52 s
Share of the hour closed
15.8% %
Vehicles queued when barriers lift
13 veh
Total vehicle delay per hour
1.00 veh·h

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Crossing delay
  3. 3Average wait per vehicle= 7.52 s
  4. 4Share of the hour closed= 15.8 %
  5. 5Vehicles queued when barriers lift= 13 veh
  6. 6Total vehicle delay per hour= 1.00 veh·h

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
  • Rail results are planning estimates only. Verify against the infrastructure manager's rule book, approved braking curves and applicable railway safety regulations.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Rail results are planning estimates only. Verify against the infrastructure manager's rule book, approved braking curves and applicable railway safety regulations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the average wait much less than the closure time?

Because most vehicles arrive when the crossing is open and are not delayed at all. The average is spread across every vehicle.

When does a crossing need replacing?

When closed share and queue length grow enough that the queue no longer clears between trains — the standard trigger for a bridge or underpass.

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