Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit on Friday night will be begin testing its railroad crossing signal and train control testing system at the downtown Novato train station at Grant and Railroad avenues.
The tests will start 11 p.m. Friday and finish at 2 p.m. Monday.
The first test of railroad crossings will be from 11 p.m. Friday to 1 p.m. Saturday. The tests will involve occasional ringing bells and flashing lights from Rush Creek Place to the Franklin pedestrian crossing.
Trains will not be involved in those tests.
More crossing tests on Saturday will be between 1 p.m. and 10 p.m. It will involve bells, flashing lights and train horns at the Olive, Grant/Railroad, and Franklin pedestrian crossings. It is federally required to use horns while testing crossings, SMART officials said.
Train control testing that includes bells and flashing lights from Rush Creek Place to the Hamilton pedestrian crossing will take place between 10 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. Monday.
Flaggers will be present at the railroad crossings and drivers are advised to slow down and be aware crossing gates may be down.
Local
The testing will require rail service shutdown on Saturday and Sunday and shuttle service will be provided at the downtown Petaluma, Novato, San Marin and Novato Hamilton stations. Riders are advised to check SMART's schedule at SonomaMarinTrain.org.
Service from the downtown Novato station is expected to begin by the end of the year.
