Emergency notification sign
A small blue sign at a railroad crossing with a phone number and the crossing’s ID number. It is for reporting a problem at the crossing, such as a stalled vehicle on the tracks or signals that are not working, to the railroad.
How to read it
It is the Emergency Notification System (ENS) sign, white text on blue. Federal rules (49 CFR 234.309) require it to show the railroad's toll-free number, a line explaining what it is for, and the U.S. DOT National Crossing Inventory number of that crossing, which the FRA says tells the railroad exactly which crossing is meant. The number has seven characters; Michigan's manual describes it as six digits and one letter, and it may be printed black on a white panel. California's handbook calls it the blue and white sign that says what to do if there is an emergency on or near the tracks or a vehicle stalls on them. This page describes the national standard and isn’t legal advice; what a driver must do at a crossing is set by state law.
Also searched as: blue railroad sign, crossing number sign, railroad emergency sign.
Rules vary by state and country. This explains the sign's standard meaning in the U.S. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices; it isn't legal advice.
What happens after a call
The railroad has to run a phone line that takes reports of a warning system that is not working, a vehicle or other obstruction on the track, something blocking the view of approaching trains, or any other unsafe condition. On a report of malfunctioning signals, 49 CFR 234.305 requires the railroad to contact the trains due through that crossing promptly, then the police with jurisdiction there. Michigan's manual says railroad officials may be able to slow, stop or divert an approaching train, and tells drivers stuck on the tracks with no train in sight to get everyone out and well away from the tracks, ring the number on the sign, give the crossing number, and then call 911.
The crossing inventory
The number links to the U.S. DOT National Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory, the FRA's database of every crossing in the country, at grade or on a bridge. The FRA says the public can use it to look up local crossings.
Code and wording in the 2009 and 2023 MUTCD
The 2009 MUTCD called it the Emergency Notification sign (I-13) and said it should be installed at all highway-rail crossings. The 11th edition (2023) renames it the Emergency Notification System sign (I13-1), requires it on each approach, and allows a yellow NOTICE header above it.
More road signs
Browse symbols drawn with letters and numbers.
Sources
- MUTCD 2009 Edition, Chapter 8B: Signs and Markings (Railroad and Light Rail Transit Grade Crossings), MUTCD 2009, Part 8, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 8B.18
- MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 8: Traffic Control for Railroad and Light Rail Transit Grade Crossings, MUTCD 11th edition (December 2023), Part 8, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 8B.27
- 49 CFR 234.309: ENS signs in general, 49 CFR 234.309, U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations), § 234.309(b), (c)(4)
- 49 CFR 234.303: Emergency notification systems for telephonic reporting of unsafe conditions at highway-rail and pathway grade crossings, 49 CFR 234.303, U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations), § 234.303(a), (c)
- 49 CFR 234.305: Remedial actions in response to reports of unsafe conditions at highway-rail and pathway grade crossings, 49 CFR 234.305, U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations), § 234.305(b)(1)
- Emergency Notification Systems at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings, U.S. Federal Railroad Administration, page text
- Crossing Inventory, U.S. DOT National Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory, U.S. Federal Railroad Administration, page text
- What Every Driver Must Know, Michigan driver manual, Michigan Department of State, pp. 36–37
- Official Florida Driver License Handbook, rev. 08/2023, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, p. 80
- California Driver's Handbook, Section 7: Laws and Rules of the Road, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Signs
Last reviewed October 2, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research