Why can't the train just stop?

A train weighs hundreds of tonnes on steel wheels on steel rails, so it brakes about ten times more weakly than a car. The distance to stop is its speed squared over twice the braking rate, which is hundreds of metres at line speed.

Why do the barriers come down in two steps?

The entry barrier stops new cars from driving onto the crossing, and the exit barrier comes down a few seconds later so that a car already on the crossing can drive off rather than be trapped.

Level Crossing Keeper

Look after a road crossing on a busy railway. Lower the barriers early enough for each train, because a train takes hundreds of metres to stop, then raise them as soon as it is safe so the cars are not kept waiting. Faster trains, double-headers and a busier road make six levels of timing and judgement.

Strategy
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Mouse, touch or keyboard
Added 10 November 2026
#levelcrossing
#railway
#train
#barriers
#brakingdistance
#timing

0% · Getting ready

Watch a 20-second trailer

A real run of the game, recorded with captions and no sound.

How to play

Trains come in from the left or right, and the screen tells you how many seconds away each one is. Press the barrier button (or key 1) to lower the barriers: the nearer barrier comes down first and the far one follows a few seconds later, so cars on the crossing can clear.
The driver brakes if the barriers are not proved down in time. If there is not enough room to stop, the train hits whatever is on the crossing and the shift is over. The barriers stay down while a train is on the crossing.
Raise the barriers once the train has gone and the next is not too close. Finish all the trains safely for a win; you earn stars for keeping train delays and the cars' waiting time low.

Controls: mouse, touch or keyboard. Made by CalcoTools.

Tips and strategy

Count the barrier time as eight seconds plus the time for a car to cross, and lower them that long before the train needs to start braking, not before it arrives.
When two trains follow close together, leave the barriers down between them. Raising and lowering again costs more time than it saves.
A late lowering that makes a train brake costs the train delay but is safe. A very late one is not, so be early rather than late.

FAQ

Why can't the train just stop?: A train weighs hundreds of tonnes on steel wheels on steel rails, so it brakes about ten times more weakly than a car. The distance to stop is its speed squared over twice the braking rate, which is hundreds of metres at line speed.
Why do the barriers come down in two steps?: The entry barrier stops new cars from driving onto the crossing, and the exit barrier comes down a few seconds later so that a car already on the crossing can drive off rather than be trapped.

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