Wireless railroad grade crossing warning system

A railroad crossing warning system for protecting traffic from an approaching train, comprising:

• a wireless trackside communications system for bidirectionally communicating critical railway and traffic control data, between a vehicle at a railroad crossing and a train approaching the railroad crossing, said wireless trackside communications system having a plurality of trackside devices for detecting the presence, location, speed and direction of the approaching train to determine train warning information, said plurality of trackside devices communicating said train warning information between each other;
• a vehicle detector system operating independently of any onboard vehicle systems, the vehicle detector located at the railroad crossing for detecting a presence of a vehicle in an area of the railroad crossing;
• said vehicle detector system coupled to a given trackside device of said wireless communications system such that said distressed vehicle warning information is communicated thereon;
• and
• a display unit located at the railroad crossing for displaying said oncoming train warning information and said distressed vehicle warning information communicated on said wireless trackside communications system.