The department may require each railroad company operating within this State to install, operate and maintain an automatic signal, gates or other protective device or to require a flagger to be stationed at any highway crossing within this State where, after reasonable notice and hearing, the department decides that public safety requires a signal, gates or other protective device or flagger as a proper measure of protection. Notice and hearing are not required for automatic grade crossing protection funded and installed under the federal program. The expense of installing, operating and maintaining any signal, gates or other protective device or of providing the flagger must be borne by the corporation operating the railroad passing over the crossing to be protected, except that at crossings located on state and state aid highways the expense of installing the signal, gates or other protective device must be apportioned between the corporation and the State in proportions as the department determines. Wherever the term "signal" or "automatic signal" is used in this chapter, it is construed to be an appliance that gives warning of the approach of a train and that is either audible and visible by day and by night, or audible or visible as determined by the department.   [PL 1993, c. 164, §1 (AMD).]