Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn’t my city listed?
Oculus Rail provides blocked crossing data on our free app for municipalities which have a contract with Oculus Rail. If you would like yours added, please reach out to your local elected officials and tell them you want Oculus Rail available where you live and work!
Why are other crossings not included?
The rail crossings shown in the free app are those selected by the municipality. They subscribe to specific crossings and pay an annual fee for this data at each crossing. Do you want your crossing added? Contact your local elected official today and let them know you want this location(s) included on the app!
How do I add a crossing to My Crossings?
Follow these steps:
⦿ Navigate to the crossing you want to favorite.
⦿ Click into the location.
⦿ Click on the heart icon. It should now be red.
⦿ Navigate to the My Crossings tab. You should now see the crossing listed on this tab.
Why am I not receiving notifications?
Check your settings by following these steps:
⦿ Navigate to the crossing from which you want to receive notifications.
⦿ Click into the location.
⦿ Click on the bell icon. It should now be yellow.
⦿ Navigate to the Settings tab
⦿ Toggle the timeframe(s) during which you want to receive these notifications.
Can I see these blocked crossings in WAZE, Google Maps or on my car's map?
That is the goal! Stay tuned for developments!
Are trains on a schedule?
Some trains have a set schedule, others do not. For those that have a schedule, they are not always on time. Also, freight railroads will not share this information with the public. Oculus Rail was launched to provide data on real-time crossing delays for this reason – no other data is available to the general public.
Can you provide advance notice of coming trains, how long to expect?
Not yet – but it is in our plans for future development. Stay tuned!
We do provide an “average crossing duration” for each crossing based on the last 30 days of activity.
Are these crossings available in other areas/nationally?
YES – we are working on it! Stay tuned for developments!
Please let us know if you think Oculus Rail would be beneficial in your area by emailing us at info@oculusrail.com.
Also, please let your local elected official know you want this available for your community.
Will this move the train?
WE WISH! While this data does not immediately move the train, it is a step in the right direction by providing actionable to cities and motorists. Knowledge is power and this is a great place to start.
Our goal isn’t to stop trains from using the crossings — it’s to stop the crossings from stopping us.
What about data privacy and safety?
No personally identifiable driver data is collected. Our focus is on train movement and crossing status. Our data is secured, anonymized for analytics, and shared only under industry-standard protections. You can read our full Privacy Policy here.
Where did Oculus Rail start?
Norfolk, Virginia. Hampton Roads has a dense network of at-grade crossings (the ones you can’t go over or under), high vehicle and rail interactions, and strong interest in innovation among cities and related entities.
How does your technology work?
Our computer-vision sensors are solar-powered and mounted in the public right-of-way near rail crossings to collect data on the status of the crossing. They wirelessly transmit data to the cloud, where AI is used to determine if there is a train (versus a vehicle, pedestrian, etc.); this information is then sent to the Oculus Rail app and municipal dashboard.
What’s the cost and who pays?
The mobile app is free to the public.
Municipalities pay to have specific rail crossings included in the app (it’s a low-cost annual subscription plan, far less expensive than installing and maintaining a sensor themselves), in addition to receiving a detailed municipal dashboard with historic data and images for the crossings they have selected.
How do I report a problem?
Got an issue, problem, or frustration? Please submit this form and provide as much info as you can. One of our team members will be in touch with you to troubleshoot or otherwise address.