Crossing monitoring for short lines
Know your crossings are working, 24/7/365
RVNcomm watches every grade crossing you run and texts your team the moment something goes wrong. Built for Class 2 and Class 3 railroads, with no IT department required.
Alert text shown is an illustration.
The problem
Short lines carry the same crossing risk with a fraction of the resources
Class 1 railroads spent about $12 billion over 12 years on Positive Train Control. Class 2 and Class 3 railroads are exempt, but their crossings still lose power, run down batteries and stick gates. Today most of those problems are found when someone calls.
crossings with warning systems run by short lines and private owners
Class 2 and Class 3 railroads in the US
between crossings, covered by small signal crews
real-time warnings from a traditional data recorder
How it works
Eyes in every signal bungalow, alerts on your phone
RVN unit
Monitors power, batteries, gates and every activation through 9 analog and 16 digital inputs.
RVN network
Reports over 4G/5G to RVNcomm’s redundant servers, which store every event and apply your alarm rules.
Alerts and dashboards
Texts and emails to the people you choose, plus a live dashboard and monthly reports.
What it catches
The failures that cause accidents, flagged in real time
- Power left offAlarms if commercial AC power isn’t restored after maintenance.
- Weak batteriesWarns before operating or control battery voltage drops below safe levels.
- Short warning timesFlags warning times of 20 seconds or less, and false activations.
- Stuck gatesDetects gates that don’t clear after a train passes.
- Blocked crossingsMeasures how long a train occupies the road, and can alert police, fire and EMS.
- Bungalow accessLogs every entry, and alarms if a maintainer logs in and never logs out.
Why short lines choose RVNcomm
Built for the way a small railroad actually works
No IT department
No servers or software to run. You tell us who gets alerts and we configure the alarms.
Easy to install
A standard connection diagram, pluggable terminal blocks and power from the bungalow’s own supply.
A record for compliance
Every activation and visit is time-stamped, supporting your 49 CFR Part 234 testing and records.
Evidence for intermittent faults
Every train is recorded, so the problem that never shows up when your maintainer is on site leaves a trail.
Protects your people
Maintainer login and logout means someone hears about it if a worker in the field goes quiet.
Built for the field
Third-generation hardware rated from −40°C, shaped by feedback from installed customers.
Pricing
Priced for a short line, and often grant-funded
- Hardware and serviceOne price for the RVN unit and its cellular service. [Years of service included]
- State DOT fundingAs safety equipment, RVN can qualify for Section 130 or federal CRISI grant funding at public crossings.
- No hidden IT costsNothing for you to host, patch or maintain.
About RVNcomm
Railroaders and engineers based in Wisconsin
RVN stands for Remote Verification Network, and RVNcomm is pronounced “Raven com.” Founded in 2023, the company has shipped three generations of hardware and monitors 35 crossings across Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.
Fred Rose
Electrical engineer with a Northwestern MBA. Career at TRW, LSI Logic, Synopsys and Plexus.
David Baldwin
45+ years installing and maintaining railroad signals, starting with the Chicago and North Western. Owner of Central Signal.
Paul Voith
Embedded and signal-processing engineer from Astronautics, Marquette Electronics and GE Healthcare.
Book a demo
Start with your toughest crossing
We’ll show you the live dashboard and help you pick where to begin.
- [email protected]
- Phone
- (262) 300-7171
- Office
- 8920 58th Place, Suite 700
Kenosha, WI 53144