List view / Grid view
28 August 2020 | By Gérard Hernja, Virginie Taillandier
Virginie Taillandier, Manager of SNCF’s Tech4Rail Level Crossing project, and Gérard Hernja, Training and Educational Research Coordinator at Ecole de Conduite Française (ECF), give details of how level crossings can be transformed into smart level crossings, improving safety for all users.
3 July 2020 | By Anne Zwiers
Anne Zwiers was appointed as Director of Level Crossings at ProRail in the summer of 2019; a new position aimed at infusing speed and focus into ProRail’s level crossing policy and working method. In an interview for Global Railway Review , Anne reveals the measures ProRail are taking to reduce the…
26 May 2017 | By Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP)
In 2010 the Portuguese railway network had an operating route length measuring over 2,800km with 2,494 level crossings, representing an average of 90 level crossings per 100km of railway line. Set against this backdrop of such a high ratio of level crossings, this article outlines the significant advancements that have…
20 July 2014 | By Paulo Soares de Melo
Accidents at level crossings are, recognisably, a global problem that must be issued by a vast number of stakeholders – from rail and road sides, from private to public sectors. It is estimated that between 600,000 and 1,000,000 level crossings exist in the world. In Europe there are approximately 114,000…
19 August 2014 | By Biser Minchev
The total track length of the railway network of the Republic of Bulgaria is 6,529km and there are 790 level crossings managed by the National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) of which 140 have manual barriers, 127 have electrical barriers, 108 operate with automatic block, 274 operate with automatic devices, and…
23 March 2022 | By Virginie Taillandier
Connected vehicles are becoming commonplace on the road and are increasingly moving towards more automation. In 2017, the SNCF Innovation and Research Department developed a project to transform level crossings into a crossroads connected with road vehicles. Building upon the results of this project, SNCF started a new challenge in…
25 May 2017 | By Cathal Mangan
Cathal Mangan, Technical Manager at Irish Rail, discusses the risks of user worked level crossings and where the operator currently is in its 10-year Level Crossing Asset Strategy to manage this high-risk asset base, including actively meeting with level crossing users to inform them of safety procedures and monitoring the…
17 July 2016 | By Tarvi Viisalu (Estonian Railways)
As of today, the infrastructure of Estonian Railways Ltd (AS Eesti Raudtee) has 153 public level crossings. Out of these, 116 are equipped with automated traffic signals (ATS), 34 of which are in turn equipped with automated barriers. Out of the total 153 crossings, 37 are not regulated at all,…
14 October 2015 | By Cathal Mangan
The Irish Rail network has a large number of user-worked level crossings which present great dangers. As Irish Rail’s Technical Manager Cathal Mangan explains, a 10-year plan has been developed to help improve safety and reduce risks at these level crossings.
1 June 2018 | By Danijela Baric
Danijela Barić, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, believes that to improve safety at level crossings, every implemented measure should be designed to remove as many human errors, made while driving or walking over level crossings, as possible…
27 September 2008 | By Olle Mornell, Project Manager of Safety, Operational Department, Swedish Rail Administration (Banverket) and Helena Höök, Quality Controller & Strategist of Traffic Safety, Department of Operational Management, Swedish Road Administration (Vägverket)
Two severe accidents in 2004 and 2005 brought focus on the dangers of level crossings. According to ‘Vision Zero’, fatalities and severe injuries are not acceptable in the transport system. Since level crossings concern many key players, Banverket took the first steps to cooperation and Vägverket provided the OLA working…
25 May 2017 | By Günter Dinhobl - ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, Ludwig Koschutnig - ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG
For European Railway Review, ÖBB-Infrastruktur’s Ludwig Koschutnig, Safety Expert, and Günter Dinhobl, Member of the R&D Unit, provide details of the projects, awareness campaigns, and research programmes that are helping to improve safety at level crossings in Austria.
6 July 2020 | By Isabelle Fonverne
Isabelle Fonverne, Senior Advisor for Safety at the International Union of Railways (UIC), writes that, to better address risks at level crossings, soft or harder measures must be taken not only by the railways, but also by the road sector and relevant authorities.
19 May 2016 | By Peter van der Mark
‘Ah yes, level crossings! Those locations where ill-disciplined road users interact in fascinating ways with railways…’ Regular blogger Peter Van de Mark looks at the hazards of level crossings.
20 July 2014 | By Donal Casey
Railway level crossings in Ireland are managed by Iarnród Éireann – Irish Rail, the national railway infrastructure manager, and supervised by the Railway Safety Commission, the national safety and regulatory authority. Both organisations work closely with one another to advance railway safety, which they recognise as a common goal. Donal…
