Number of tracks plaque: what it means

Number of tracks plaque: a white plaque shaped like an upside-down T, with the number 2 above the word TRACKS
Drawing: Drivoku, based on MUTCD sign R15-2P. Simplified; real signs follow the FHWA Standard Highway Signs specifications.

The Number of Tracks plaque below a crossbuck tells you how many tracks the crossing has. With two or more tracks, a second train can come right after the first.

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What does the number of tracks plaque mean?

MUTCD Section 8B.03 says that where there are two or more tracks at a grade crossing, the number of tracks shall be shown on a Number of Tracks plaque of inverted T shape below the Crossbuck sign.

Quick quiz

What does the sign at the top of this page mean?

  1. A railroad crossing: yield to trains.
  2. The crossing has more than one track.
  3. A railroad crossing is ahead.

Show answer

B. The crossing has more than one track. It shows how many tracks the crossing has (MUTCD Section 8B.03). Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 8, Traffic Control for Railroad and Light Rail Transit Grade Crossings: Section 8B.03, FHWA; MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA

Where will you see it?

Under the crossbuck at railroad crossings with two or more tracks.

What should you do?

After a train passes, do not start across until you are sure no other train is coming on another track and any lights have stopped flashing.

What do people get wrong?

Starting across as soon as one train clears. A second train on the next track can be hidden behind the first.

Common questions

Why does the number of tracks matter?

Each track can have its own train. A train on one track can hide another.

Is the plaque used at every crossing?

It is required where there are two or more tracks (MUTCD Section 8B.03).

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Sources

Checked on 3 November 2026 against the MUTCD 11th Edition (FHWA), Section 8B.03.

  1. MUTCD 11th Edition, Part 8, Traffic Control for Railroad and Light Rail Transit Grade Crossings: Section 8B.03, FHWA
  2. MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA. FHWA lists the current version as the 11th Edition with Revision 1, dated December 2025

Sign pictures are our own simplified drawings of the MUTCD designs, which are in the public domain (MUTCD Section 1D.06). Sources and image credits.

This text was written with AI help, checked against the MUTCD and approved by Fri Vei AS. Last updated .

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