Marietta to roll out train-detection system that feeds alerts to Google Maps and first responders

Marietta staff demonstrated a new train-detection technology the city will implement to alert drivers and first responders when a train is approaching downtown railroad crossings.

At the work session, staff described a pilot that installs train-detection sensors at crossings and shares real-time status with driving apps such as Google Maps and Waze. "Drivers get the information on Google Maps or Waze well before they even approach a blocked railroad crossing," a presenter said during a Channel 2 video segment shown to council.

Staff said the system also provides data to first responders and will be tied into local preemption systems so emergency vehicles can make routing decisions when crossings are blocked. The presenter said the sensors are installed at four railroad crossings in Marietta and that signage — including blank-out signs and guide signs well before the downtown square — will instruct drivers how to avoid blocked crossings.

The city noted the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has been involved in demonstrations; staff described conversations with the FRA administrator and regional railroad officials, and said the administrator’s visit prompted follow-up contact from CSX. In the video narration, a federal official was named and described as the administrator for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration.

Council members asked how drivers would receive the alerts and whether the system would integrate with the city’s own apps; staff said the initial rollout uses Waze and Google Maps and that future phases will include city apps and signal integration to flush traffic off the square when crossings are active.

What happens next: Staff will proceed with signage placement and the remaining phases of integration; council received the demonstration during the work session and no formal vote was taken there.