Article 31

At-grade railroad crossings

1. Road users must exercise special caution when approaching or crossing railroad crossings and must observe the following rules:

(a) The driver of a vehicle shall reduce the speed of the vehicle before the hazard warning signs K-31 through K-35.

b) At a level railroad crossing without operational movable barriers or operational traffic lights, marked with mandatory stop signs P-2 and near a railroad crossing marked with sign K-36 or K-37, the driver must stop on the designated stop line or, if no such line exists, at the location of the signs and must not proceed until they have verified that no train is approaching.

c) At a level railroad crossing, marked by traffic lights, with movable barriers that operate automatically, the road user, upon seeing a flashing red light or two (2) such lights flashing in succession, must stop before the designated line or, if there is no such line, before the traffic signal. The same obligation applies in the case of an audible signal emitted by a device installed at the crosswalk.

(d) Road users shall not enter a level crossing when the movable barriers have closed the crossing and while the barriers are rising or lowering.

(e) A person crossing a level crossing must proceed without delay.

(f) The driver shall not enter a level crossing without first ensuring that he or she will not be forced to come to a stop on it. In the event that the vehicle is forced to come to a stop on the tracks while crossing the at-grade railroad crossing, the driver and other road users near the crossing must move the vehicle; if they are unable to do so, they must immediately alert the train operators by any means possible to the danger.

2. Violations of subparagraphs (a), (e), and (f) of paragraph 1 are classified in category E1-B. Violations of subparagraphs (b), (c), and (d) of paragraph 1 are classified in category E4 and are punishable by an administrative fine of one thousand two hundred (1,200) euros and the immediate suspension of the driver’s license for sixty (60) days. In addition to the administrative penalties set forth in the preceding sentence, violations of subparagraphs (b), (c), and (d) of paragraph 1 are punishable by imprisonment of at least one (1) year and a fine of up to two thousand (2,000) euros, provided that the act is not punishable by a more severe penalty under Article 291 of the Penal Code (Law 4619/2019, A’95) or any other criminal provision.