🚧 Level Crossing Keeper
Lights, barriers, trains: keep the crossing safe.
How to play
- Choose your scenery and a shift, then press Start the Shift.
- Arrows at the edges of the screen show trains that are on their way, with the number of seconds until they arrive.
- Tap a crossing (or press 1, 2 or 3; Space works for the first crossing) to lower its barriers. The red lights flash, then the arms swing down.
- The barriers must be DOWN before the train gets close. If they are not, the driver makes an emergency stop and you lose a heart.
- When the train has gone, tap the crossing again to raise the barriers and let the cars, buses and bikes go.
- Drivers who wait more than 15 seconds get grumpy. No emergency stops and only a few grumpy drivers gives 3 stars.
- Press P to pause. Lose all three hearts and the shift is over.
Be the keeper of the level crossing
Level Crossing Keeper is a free train game about one of the most important jobs on the railway: making sure trains and road traffic never meet. You look down on a stretch of line in the countryside where roads cross the tracks. Cars, vans, buses, bicycles, tractors and even an ice cream van come and go, and every so often a train comes rushing along the rails. Your job is to close the crossing in time for each train and open it again as soon as it has passed.
Each crossing has a big round button. Tap it (or press its number on the keyboard) and the red warning lights start to flash, just like a real railroad crossing. Cars already on the crossing drive on, but new ones stop at the white line. A second later the red and white striped barrier arms swing down across the road. Only when they are fully down is it safe for the train to cross.
Timing is everything
The barriers take about two seconds to come down, and trains do not wait. Arrows at the sides of the screen warn you which trains are coming and in how many seconds, and each crossing button glows red when a train is getting close. If the barriers are not down in time, the driver sounds the horn and makes an emergency stop before the crossing. Nobody gets hurt, but you lose one of your three hearts.
Closing the crossing too early is not a good idea either. Every car that waits builds up a queue, and drivers who wait longer than fifteen seconds get grumpy and honk. The best crossing keepers lower the barriers just in time and lift them the moment the last wagon has gone by. You cannot raise the barriers while a train is still on the crossing, so there is no way to make a dangerous mistake.
Ten shifts on a busy railway
The first shift is quiet: one crossing, one track and slow local trains from the left, with hints to show you what to do. Then trains start coming from both directions, long orange freight trains rumble through, and a fast red express keeps you on your toes. Later shifts add a second and third crossing, and a double-track main line where two trains can pass each other right on your crossing. There is a rush hour full of cars, a night shift where you watch for headlights in the dark, and a final Crossing Master shift with fourteen trains on three crossings.
Each shift gives up to three stars: one for finishing, two for no more than one emergency stop, and three for a perfect shift with no emergency stops and only a few grumpy drivers. Stars unlock new scenery: a snowy village and an autumn town.
What kids learn from it
Level Crossing Keeper is about attention and timing. Players keep an eye on several things at once, estimate how long a train will take to arrive, and plan ahead so that each crossing closes at the right moment. It is also a gentle, playful way to talk about railway safety: why the lights flash, why cars must stop at the line, and why nobody should ever go round the barriers.
The game is free, needs no account, and saves your stars only in your own browser. It works with a mouse, a keyboard or a touchscreen. See the Parents & Safety page for details. Enjoyed it? Send trains to the right station in Railway Switch Master, drive one yourself in Rail Driver 3D, or explore every game in the Train Games hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is Level Crossing Keeper free?
Yes. It is a free railroad crossing game that runs in a web browser with no download, account or plugin.
How do I lower the barriers?
Tap or click a crossing, or press its number key (1, 2 or 3). Space works for the first crossing. The lights flash first, then the arms come down.
What happens if the barriers are not down in time?
The train driver makes an emergency stop before the crossing and you lose a heart. The train waits until the crossing is closed, then carries on. Nothing ever crashes.
Why are some drivers grumpy?
Drivers who wait more than 15 seconds at a closed crossing get grumpy. Raise the barriers as soon as each train has passed to keep the traffic moving.
How do I get 3 stars?
Finish the shift with no emergency stops and only a few grumpy drivers.
Does it work on phones and tablets?
Yes. Tap a crossing's road or its round button to lower or raise the barriers.