Detection of a locomotive or other vehicle is enhanced by transmitting an RF alert signal from the vehicle when the vehicle approaches a heightened alert area such as a railroad crossing. The RF alert signal is received by communication unit(s) carried by pedestrian(s) or residing in vehicle(s) approaching the heightened alert area, thereby providing an alert that supplements train whistles, gates, horns or other warning mechanisms known in the art. The RF alert signal may also be transmitted to infrastructure devices such as logging devices. In one embodiment, the RF alert signal is transmitted from a locomotive upon detecting operation of a train whistle associated with the locomotive and/or coincident to receiving an external alert signal or automatic vehicle location (AVL) information indicating that the locomotive is near a heightened alert area.