Railway Crossings

Are you in a dispute over a railway crossing? If you cannot work it out directly with the other party, the CTA can help. We resolve crossing disputes involving:

• Landowners who cannot agree with a railway company about building or maintaining, private crossings (including "farm crossings"). We can also explain who pays for different types of private crossings.
• Road authorities or utility companies and railway companies that cannot agree on building or maintaining a road or utility crossing (including modifications and reconstruction). In these cases, the CTA can also resolve disputes about how to split ("apportion") the related costs. In addition, if you have a signed road or utility crossing agreement, the CTA can enforce it as if it were a CTA order for provisions on construction, maintenance, or costs.
• Railway companies that cannot agree with other railway companies about building a railway line across another railway line.

You should always try to resolve the dispute yourself first. If you and the other party cannot agree, we can work with each of you, often by phone, to help you reach an agreement. This is the fastest, most informal option. It involves our facilitation and mediation service. 

If you prefer a more formal approach, you may apply in writing to ask CTA Members, who are our decision-makers, to settle the dispute. They would hear your side and the other party's side and make a decision. This formal option, called adjudication, may take several months.

For more information about your options, call our rail help line at 1-877-850-7148. You can also read our guide, Railway Crossings: A Guide

Further information

• Disputes about road, utility and private crossings
• Railway Crossings: A Guide New
• Guide to Railway Charges for Crossing Maintenance and Construction 2023 New
• Railway Crossings of Other Railways: A Resource Tool
• Apportionment of Costs of Grade Separations: A Resource Tool

Learn more about how to create and file agreements related to:

• Agreements: railway crossings and construction
• Agreements: Road and utility crossings
• Agreements: Railway crossings of other railways
• Agreements: Apportionment of costs of grade separations

Do you already have a signed road or utility crossing agreement? You could choose to send us a copy of your agreement or any amended version. We will keep it on record in case there are any future disputes about it, and we can enforce it as if it were a CTA order, if either party asks us to.

To file your road or utility agreement with us, use this railway crossing agreements form. We maintain a list of the agreements we receive.