Concrete. Rubber. Composite. Timber. These are the numerous ways to surface a highway/rail grade crossing to withstand the long-term pounding of heavy trains while providing a safe, smooth and jolt-free ride for motor vehicles.
Railway Age reached out to ENSCO Rail, Inc.; L.B. Foster; HiRAIL Corporation; TieTek Global LLC; American Concrete Products; Omega Industries Inc.; Omni Products Inc.; Oldcastle Infrastructure; Koppers; and Stella-Jones Corp. to inquire about their technologies, what their customers are looking for and the state of the market. Following is a roundup of offerings from those who chose to participate.
The goal of Omega’s new concrete mix design is to extend the lifespan of its current product by several years. (Omega Industries Inc.)
Omega Industries Inc.
“Business has been very steady this year, and we expect more of the same for 2025,” said National Sales Manager Mark Mottola.
Omega has been testing a new state-of-the-art concrete mix design to help improve tensile strength and durability of its concrete, Mottola tells Railway Age. “The goal is to extend the current lifespan of our product by several years.” Additionally, the company is on the verge of signing a multi-year crossing contract with a Class I, said Mottola, who adds that customers are looking for “prompt service, fair pricing, quick turnaround times, and a quality product.”
Omni Products Inc.
In 2024, Omni “stands at the forefront of fabricating custom concrete grade crossing panels for numerous high-profile projects across the U.S. and Canada,” the company tells Railway Age. “Leveraging decades of experience and engineering expertise, Omni confidently undertakes virtually any custom concrete grade crossing project. Our capabilities extend to handling severe 30-plus-degree curves with efficiency and precision. Our commitment to providing top-quality manufactured grade crossings, whether in concrete, full-depth virgin rubber, or a variety of virgin rubber rail guard concrete tub modules, fuels Omni’s ongoing success.”
Omni adds it “proudly offers products made in America, including a robust six-year factory warranty against rips and tears on all of our rubber products—a guarantee unmatched in the grade crossing industry.” The company’s portfolio consists of several “exclusive” grade crossing products, including its steel-reinforced rubber, which is designed for extreme applications, such as fork truck traffic. Omni’s original VRA (Virgin Rubber Railguard) and the innovative VRAZ Railguard, both manufactured in-house, “provide clients with the toughest solid virgin rubber rail seal available,” the company notes. These products come with a six-year factory warranty, “ensuring unparalleled protection and performance.”
Omni’s ECR products and Improved Concrete (IC) designs offer additional alternatives tailored to specific applications, showcasing the company’s ability to “customize solutions for any project.” The company’s proprietary concrete tub designs, TraCast, are available in two versions, including custom wide, heavy-duty modules “engineered for extreme applications.”
“Current business is brisk and steady moving into 2025,” Omni tells Railway Age. “Keeping our focus on production schedules along with quality products delivered on time, backed by expert and timely customer service, are what Omni strives for to exceed our customers’ expectations. Look for spill pans beginning in 2025. We are currently working on a specific design of drip pans to fill the requirements related to secondary containment.”
HiRAIL is continuing its work developing new full-depth rubber crossing profiles. (HiRAIL Corporation)
HiRAIL Corporation
“The market for grade crossings is currently strong with the Class I’s, short lines and transit agencies,” according to Director of Sales and Marketing Jim Overfelt.
HiRAIL is continuing its work developing new full-depth rubber crossing profiles to fit new concrete tie designs and new fastening systems. “The majority of concrete ties produced domestically are not flat or rectangular shaped like a timber tie,” Overfelt explains. “Most concrete ties have an area that slopes down from the rail seat toward the middle of the tie that meets a flat section in the middle. Over the course of many years, the concrete tie manufacturers have made these areas different lengths. As these dimensions change, we change to make our product fit the contour of the concrete tie. Our design capabilities allow the client to use the same concrete tie profile throughout their entire system and not have to transition to flat concrete ties or timber ties for their crossings.
“On top of the changes in shape, there have also been new fastening systems introduced that require us to add more clearance. Consequently, we end up changing our design to fit these requirements. It seems as though every year there is a new fastening system and concrete tie design, and we are fortunate to have the ability to design a crossing product that will accommodate it. We also seem to be getting more inquires for direct-fixation track crossings, which require a lot of the same design capabilities that we use for concrete or steel tie crossings.”
“Our customers are looking for a product that is low-maintenance, reliable and competitively priced,” Overfelt adds. “Customers are also looking for a product that can be recycled at the end of its life and that is manufactured in the U.S. HiRAIL offers all of these benefits, which I believe is the reason for much of our success.”
