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This is
your International
NewsLetter




Happy New Year!

Railspectech insists on wishing every one our most sincere Best Wishes for 2014. May this New Year bring to you all the Success you work for, all the Health you need and all the Peace Earth deserves.




Very
unfortunately
accidents
at
road-rail
level crossings
happen.



Security at Level Crossings

As 2014 comes along, what a better time of the year to reiterate efforts have to be made in order to save lives. One fatality remains too many.

Every year, more than 400 people are killed in over 1,200 accidents at road-rail level crossings in European Union countries alone. Based on statistics collected from several countries, the level crossing with the highest risk is type: automatic LC equipped with visual warnings for road users. Few level crossing accidents demonstrate decreasing trends. In several cases an increasing trend exist. Obviously, the human factor element should be incorporated into the investigation together with any technological effects.

Collisions between road and railway vehicles happen for diverse reasons: road users disobedience the LC protection system does not detect the approaching train the gate keeper do not close the LC on time (manually controlled full barriers) train driver is not informed about the LC failure state missing train audible warning unprotected LC reduced visibility missing preventive information.

Humans by their very nature make mistakes. It should come as no surprise that the human factor has been identified to be the source of 90% of LC accidents. SELCAT (Safer European Level Crossing Appraisal and Technology) works confirm that designing new technologies robust to human errors should be an absolute priority. Post accidents databases should be designed to gather data about human error and new investigative methods should be developed in order to leverage this data and understand and reduce human error while designing new technologies. For SELCAT the level crossing activation with surveillance signal is best as it is easy to understand, simple in its logic and
independent from any signal box technology. The activation of the safety system occurs via radio communication when the train reaches the location for the activation of the safety system. The distance of this location to the location of the surveillance signal depends on:

• The time necessary to switch on the red light for road traffic,
• The time necessary to verify that the danger zone is free of obstacles,
• The time to lower the barriers and confirm that the level crossing is secured, and
• Current speed of train, distance covered in time to secure the level crossing.

The combination of the level crossing activation type and the proposed obstacle detection system lead to the following design of a better level crossing. It uses the following components:

1 Video analysis system (computer / algorithm);
2 Antenna for communication;
3 Communication system (track side, train side);
4 Level crossing safety system;
5 Video sensor (camera);
6 Velocity-depending location of level crossing activation;
7 Surveillance signal (pre-existing);
8 GNSS based train positioning

Is this the new norm/regulation/system to be applied worldly as transportation practices tend to merge ? If this gets proven an undisputed effective globally money saver as much for insurance companies and associated governments expenses of all kinds, railroads may very well be asked to jump in a similar total system so as to bring more security to level crossings.


EBI Gate 2000 level crossing system
Bombardier Transportation Group has completed testing the EBI Gate 2000 level crossing system in Zmigród, Poland with success. When integrated, the system is capable of receiving information about an obstacle on the level crossing that can be useful in alerting crossing, station or train personnel. The successful testing will provide the foundation to develop a mechanism to inform the train driver about the need to brake.

Road-rail Level crossing


New warnings
An improvement test these six months at rail level crossings to increase safety for motorists in Australia. A radio break-in device has been installed in 22 trains and 23 vehicles identified as regularly using these crossings. The device alerts motorists if there is a train approaching the crossing by wirelessly detecting the vehicle’s location in relation to the train and then uses the vehicle’s radio to broadcast a warning announcement.



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Railspectech (Railspectech) on Twitter The latest from Railspectech (). Founded in 1989 by Georges E. Vézina, Railspectech is expert of non destructive testing for railways. Montréal

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