A crash severity analysis at highway-rail grade crossings: The random survival forest method.

•Random survival forest method in highway rail grade crossing safety analysis is introduced.•Long-term time effects on cumulative probability of crash severity and occurrence over 29 years is evaluated.•Contributors’ long-term and instantaneous effects on crash severity and occurrence behave very different.•Adding stop sign to active controlled crossings will reduce crash risk up to 7 years.•Audible device to active crossings will reduce crash/PDO/injury/fatal likelihoods by 49 %, 52 %, 46 %, and 50 % respectively.