Railroad companies must install automatic warning devices at certain railroad crossings within six months, and Tennessee transportation officials may order or certify the work.
Within six (6) months after the occurrence of a fatality resulting from a collision between any railroad engine or train and a vehicle or pedestrian at any unmarked railroad grade crossing, where there are regularly scheduled trains, one hundred (100) or more vehicles cross daily and it is also a regular school bus crossing, and/or upon the order of the commissioner of transportation or the commissioner's designee, the railroad company responsible for maintaining the track and right-of-way at such grade crossing shall install or cause to be installed a railroad crossing marker with automatic flashing signal lights and a bell on either side of the tracks along such street, road or highway crossing such tracks, in such a manner that approaching motorists, riders or pedestrians may be warned of the hazard and alerted to watch for an oncoming train or engine. A railroad company shall have six (6) months from the time of an order of the commissioner or the commissioner's designee in which to install or cause to be installed the automatic warning or protective devices required. If such devices are not installed and operative at the end of this period of time, and the commissioner has not granted an extension based on hardship or act of God, the speed of trains operating within one (1) mile in each direction of such crossing shall be restricted to not more than twenty-five (25) miles per hour. This restriction shall continue until the devices are fully operational. The cost of installing such signal devices shall be borne equally by the railroad company, the state of Tennessee, and the county, or the municipality, if such signal devices are installed within the corporate limits or the metropolitan government, where applicable. Payment of the state's share shall be made as reimbursement of the railroad company of one third (1/3) of the cost of such installation, by warrant of the commissioner of finance and administration upon the state treasury, after inspection of the site and certification by the commissioner of transportation or the commissioner's designee that such signal devices have been installed in compliance with this section; provided, that the railroad company has first submitted to the commissioner of finance and administration a sworn statement of the total costs incurred by the railroad company in installing such signal devices. Payment of the municipality's or county's or metropolitan government's share of the costs shall similarly be made in accordance with the fiscal procedures of such municipality, county, or metropolitan government after receipt of a sworn statement from the railroad company of the total cost of the installations and verification of such installation by the appropriate municipal, county or metropolitan government official. If any county, municipal or metropolitan government fails or refuses to reimburse the railroad company as provided in this section, the commissioner of finance and administration shall cause the necessary amount of money to be withheld from such county, municipal or metropolitan government any amount due such county, municipal or metropolitan government from the proceeds of the state gasoline tax and reimburse the railroad company using such funds otherwise due the county, municipal or metropolitan government. The Tennessee department of transportation shall be prohibited from adopting any rules or regulations which will circumvent the purposes of this section by setting incompatible criteria for determining priorities for the installation of railroad crossing signals. In the event federal funds are available to defray the cost of such installation in whole or in part, the federal rules then applicable shall determine the allocation of the costs of such installation. Any railroad company failing to comply with the requirements of subsections (a)-(d) is subject to a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each day of continued violation. The department of transportation is authorized to construct protective or warning devices at or in the vicinity of any railroad crossing of a public highway owned by a county or incorporated city or town, based upon the showing of need resulting from a multidisciplinary study, whenever federal funds are available for such construction. The department of transportation is further authorized to supply a maximum of one percent (1%) of the funds required for such construction provided the county or incorporated city or town in which the construction will be performed complies with the necessary conditions for receipt of the balance of federal matching funds for such construction. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the department of transportation shall construct automatic warning devices at the railroad crossing at Tipton Station Road in southern Knox County.