Railroad Utility Crossings in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Railroad Crossing License Process

Installing a utility under a railroad track in Oklahoma requires a crossing license from the railroad company that owns the right-of-way. Oklahoma’s major railroads include BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, with several short-line railroads operating in various parts of the state. Each railroad has its own crossing license application requirements, engineering standards, and inspection protocols that must be followed exactly. Failure to comply with railroad requirements can result in license suspension, removal of installed facilities, or significant liability if a crossing installation affects railroad operations or safety.

Trinity Boring Solutions has managed railroad crossing license applications with Oklahoma’s major railroads and understands the application process and timeline for each. The license application typically requires engineering drawings showing the crossing location, the depth of the bore below the top of rail, the casing pipe diameter and wall thickness, the end seal design, the carrier pipe type and specifications, and the installation method. For jack-and-bore installations, the jacking pit and receiving pit dimensions and locations must also be shown. Trinity prepares all of these exhibits in coordination with the project engineer and submits the complete application to the railroad’s pipeline and utilities department.

License approval typically takes 4 to 12 weeks depending on the railroad and the crossing complexity. During this time, Trinity works with the project owner to ensure that all other project elements are progressing so that the railroad crossing can be installed promptly after the license is received. Railroad crossing licenses are valid for a defined period, and the installation must begin and be completed within that period. Trinity’s project management process tracks license validity and ensures the crossing is scheduled and completed within the license window.

Jack-and-Bore Casing Installation for Railroad Crossings

Jack-and-bore is the standard installation method for railroad utility crossings in Oklahoma. The process involves excavating a jacking pit on one side of the railroad tracks and a receiving pit on the other side, both set back from the track centerline by the required distance specified in the railroad’s crossing standards. The steel casing is jacked through the railroad embankment using hydraulic jacks in the jacking pit while an auger bore removes the soil inside the casing. The casing advances in sections until it breaks through into the receiving pit, at which point the auger is removed and the casing is trimmed and finished.

The steel casing must be designed to support the H-20 loading from railroad locomotives passing overhead during and after installation. The casing wall thickness is calculated based on the casing diameter, the depth of burial, and the railroad’s loading requirements. Trinity provides the casing design documentation to the railroad’s engineering department as part of the crossing license application and ensures that the casing installed on the project matches the approved design.

After the casing is installed, the carrier pipe is pulled or pushed through the casing on spacers that maintain the pipe at the center of the casing and prevent the carrier pipe from bearing on the casing. End seals are installed on both ends of the casing to prevent groundwater intrusion and carrier pipe corrosion from external moisture.

Directional Boring for Railroad Crossings

Some Oklahoma railroads permit directional boring rather than jack-and-bore for utility crossings under their tracks. Directional boring is faster to install, does not require jacking pits adjacent to the tracks, and produces a less disturbed crossing path that may have less impact on the railroad embankment’s structural integrity. However, not all railroads accept directional boring, and those that do may require specific bore path geometry, minimum depth below the tracks, and monitoring of the bore head position during the operation.

Trinity performs directional bore railroad crossings for railroads that permit this method, designing the bore path to achieve the required depth below the tracks and managing the bore head tracking throughout the crossing. The minimum depth for directional bore railroad crossings is typically greater than for jack-and-bore installations because the bore path must clear the railroad embankment structure and achieve the required cover below the bottom of the ties. Trinity’s bore path design for railroad crossings includes a safety margin below the minimum depth requirement to account for soil variations along the crossing path.

Railroad operations require advance notice before any work begins within the railroad right-of-way, and a flagman may be required during portions of the installation. Trinity coordinates with the railroad’s engineering and transportation departments to arrange the required notices and flagging services, ensuring that our crew’s work within the right-of-way does not create safety conflicts with train operations. The cost of flagging services is included in Trinity’s crossing project pricing so there are no surprises for the project owner during execution.

Utilities Installed in Railroad Crossings

Railroad utility crossings in Oklahoma carry every type of utility that must cross railroad right-of-way. Water mains are among the most common, particularly in communities where the municipal water distribution system must cross a railroad to serve development on both sides of the tracks. Sanitary sewer force mains and gravity mains also cross railroad tracks, particularly in communities where the topography directs sewer flows toward the railroad right-of-way. Gas distribution and transmission lines cross railroad rights-of-way at thousands of locations across Oklahoma, with each crossing requiring a separate license from the railroad.

Electrical and telecommunications crossings under railroad tracks are increasingly common as Oklahoma utilities expand underground infrastructure for reliability improvement and new telecommunications buildout. Fiber optic conduit crossings support internet and telecommunications services for communities on the opposite side of railroad corridors. Electrical conduit crossings carry distribution and transmission cables at both low and high voltage levels. Trinity installs all of these utility types in railroad crossings, adapting the casing design and installation approach to the specific requirements of each utility and each railroad.

For multi-utility railroad crossings where several utilities must cross at the same location, Trinity designs a casing arrangement that accommodates all utilities in a shared crossing structure where the railroad permits it, or installs individual casings for each utility in separate parallel crossings spaced according to the railroad’s clearance requirements. The most efficient approach depends on the railroad’s policy and the spacing requirements between individual crossing casings. Trinity evaluates both options and recommends the approach that satisfies the railroad’s requirements at the lowest total cost and schedule impact for the project owner.

Railroad Crossing Documentation and Inspection

Railroad companies require detailed documentation of the completed crossing installation, including as-built drawings showing the actual crossing location and depth, photographs of the casing installation at key stages, and certification that the installed casing meets the approved design specifications. Trinity prepares and provides all required close-out documentation to the railroad’s pipeline and utilities department as part of the crossing license compliance process.

Railroad inspectors may be present during portions of the installation, particularly during jacking operations near the tracks and during the carrier pipe installation. Trinity coordinates with the railroad to schedule the inspection presence and ensures that our crew’s work meets the railroad’s standards at every inspection hold point. A clean inspection record is important for maintaining Trinity’s standing as an approved contractor with Oklahoma’s railroads, which is why we apply the same quality standards on every railroad crossing project regardless of the inspection level. See our utility crossings and directional drilling services for related information.

Why Trinity Boring Solutions Is Oklahoma’s Proven Choice for Railroad Utility Crossings

Oklahoma’s underground infrastructure is growing rapidly to meet the demands of population growth, economic development, and the replacement of aging systems that were installed decades ago. Every segment of that infrastructure build requires contractors who bring more than equipment to the job site. It requires operators who understand the engineering behind what they install, project managers who can navigate the regulatory environment without slowing the project, and a safety culture that protects workers, existing utilities, and the public throughout every hour of the work.

Trinity Boring Solutions has built exactly that combination of technical capability, regulatory knowledge, and safety discipline over years of working on some of Oklahoma’s most challenging underground utility projects.

The communities we serve across Oklahoma’s 77 counties depend on the underground infrastructure we help build and maintain. When a rural water district extends its system to serve a new rural subdivision, the families who will live there depend on the quality of the pipe installation to deliver clean, reliable water for decades. When a municipality extends its sewer system to a growing commercial district, the businesses that open there depend on the sewer system to function correctly from day one.

When a gas utility installs new distribution infrastructure in a growing community, the safety of every property served by that system depends on the quality of every joint, every depth measurement, and every valve installation in the distribution system. Trinity takes that responsibility seriously on every project, regardless of scale.

The Trinity Difference: Planning, Precision, and Performance

What separates good utility contractors from great ones is what happens before the equipment hits the ground. Trinity Boring Solutions invests in pre-construction planning on every project because the decisions made in the office before mobilization determine how well the project goes in the field. We review the design documents carefully, identify potential problems, and address them before they become delays or extra costs. We confirm permit requirements and lead times, identify utility conflicts that need resolution, and plan the installation sequence to keep the project moving forward efficiently from start to finish.

In the field, our crews execute the plan with the precision that the design requires. Grade is maintained with laser equipment on every gravity system installation. Bore paths are tracked continuously and corrected immediately when they deviate from the design. Bedding and backfill are placed and compacted in the sequence and to the density specified by the project documents. Safety procedures are followed without exception because a shortcut that saves five minutes is not worth the consequences of a worker injury or a utility strike. That discipline in the field is what produces results that stand up to inspection and perform correctly for the life of the installation.

Performance on Trinity projects is measured not just by completing the work but by the quality of what is left behind. A water main that holds pressure and passes bacteriological testing. A sewer main that maintains grade and passes the mandrel and leakage tests. A directional bore that stays on the designed path and achieves the required depth at every point.

A gas service that holds the pressure test and is accepted by the gas utility’s inspector without exceptions. These outcomes require consistent attention to detail and a refusal to accept substandard work at any stage of the installation. That standard is non-negotiable at Trinity Boring Solutions, and it is the reason clients come back to us for subsequent projects.

Contact Trinity Boring Solutions for Railroad Utility Crossings in Oklahoma

Phone: (405) 409-7423 (Available 24/7 for emergencies)

Email: [email protected]

Service area: All 77 Oklahoma counties including Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Lawton, Enid, Norman, Stillwater, Broken Arrow, Owasso, Edmond, Yukon, and all surrounding communities.

Related services: Directional Drilling | Trenching | Hydrovac Daylighting | Water Line Services | Sewer Line Services | Gas Line Services | Electrical Conduit | Fiber Optic