INTERNATIONAL LEVEL CROSSING SAFETY

STUDY TOUR

REPORT

The Study Tour provided a unique

opportunity to experience the best

that the USA and UK have to off er

and bring these learnings home.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

BACKGROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

KEY LEARNINGS/RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

TECHNOLOGIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Wayside Horn System

Four Quadrant Gate System – Automatic Level Crossings

Pedestrian Active Warning Sign

Mobile Safety Vehicle and Red Light Safety Enforcement Cameras

Lower cost level crossing safety developments

CONCLUSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

ANNEX A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

International Level Crossing Safety Study Tour Delegate List

International Level Crossing Safety Study Tour Group Photo

ANNEX B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

International Level Crossing Safety Study Tour Meeting Itinerary

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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INTERNATIONAL LEVEL CROSSING SAFETY STUDY TOUR REPORT

KEY LEARNINGS/RECOMMENDATIONS

Common themes and key learnings from Study Tour participants include:

1. The Australian and New Zealand rail industries are facing the same issues as the USA

and UK. It is crucial that more is done to share information and experiences to ensure

world’s best practice is achieved in level crossing safety.

2. Collaboration with all key stakeholders is vital– particularly working with roads.

3. Vehicle collisions at level crossings are trending downwards but pedestrian collisions

at level crossings are on the rise across Australia and New Zealand and similarly in the

USA and UK.

4. The Level Crossing Managers (LCM) Program developed by Network Rail has had

excellent results and the Australian and New Zealand rail industries can learn a lot

from the multi-disciplinary focus as well as their approach to risk assessments of

level crossings.

5. There were level crossing safety initiatives and technologies observed on the Study

Tour that are relevant for integration into the rail networks in Australia and New Zealand.

The Study Tour reinforced that rail organisations still often work in silos. To capitalise on the

enthusiasm built on the trip and the desire to trial some of the technologies observed, it is

suggested that TrackSAFE through its Board, the National Level Crossing Safety Committee

and working with the Australasian Centre for Rail Innovation, ensures national coordination

and communication on these initiatives. Where possible these trials should be carried out

nationally (or at a minimum with the communications and learnings around these trials

being shared on a national scale) to ensure that the information and lessons learned are

accessible to all for the betterment of the industry and to avoid duplication.

The technologies experienced overseas and detailed in this report will be catalogued into

a Level Crossing Safety Database along with the innovations being employed domestically.

This information will be overseen by the National Level Crossing Safety Committee to

which TrackSAFE performs secretariat duties.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Improving safety at level crossings is one of the TrackSAFE Foundation’s primary focuses.

As such, TrackSAFE led an International Level Crossing Safety Study Tour (Study Tour) to the

USA and UK, 20 – 30 March 2017, to gain an understanding of how these countries manage

risk and to discover the new and innovative level crossing safety technologies being utilised.

The delegation comprised of 13 delegates (see Annex A) from rail organisations including

passenger and freight operators, rail infrastructure managers, the Offi ce of the National

Rail Safety Regulator, government and research bodies.

This Report has been composed based on the fi ndings and key observations of Study

Tour participants.

The Study Tour was successful in achieving what it set out to: benchmarking Australia and

New Zealand against the USA and UK; gaining an understanding of the impressive range of

technologies and approaches being used overseas; and ultimately providing the opportunity

to learn and share experiences with rail safety experts regarding how level crossing risk

is managed. Knowledge was shared on regulatory frameworks, education, enforcement,

stakeholder management, database inventory, risk management and engineering.

The Study Tour provided a unique opportunity to expose Australian and New Zealand

senior rail safety professionals to the best that the USA and UK have to off er in level

crossing safety and bring these learnings home. Study Tour participants unanimously

agreed that the investment in time and resources was incredibly worthwhile in gaining

access to information, technologies and the experiences of their colleagues abroad as

well as building an international network of level crossing safety experts that will endure.

BACKGROUND

The TrackSAFE Foundation leads a range of initiatives aimed at improving level crossing

safety and reducing incidents and near misses. Many of these are in the education, public

awareness and advocacy space. These include the TrackSAFE Education program for

schools, coordinating the annual Rail Safety Week and other level crossing safety awareness

campaigns, and the reestablishment of the National Level Crossing Safety Committee and

the development of a new Strategy and Action Plan.

With 23,500 level crossings in Australia the importance of innovative technologies in level

crossing safety cannot be overstated. TrackSAFE was keen to understand the breadth of

treatments not only in Australia and New Zealand but the existing and emerging level

crossing safety technologies overseas.

The idea for a Study Tour originated at a Level Crossing Safety Forum that TrackSAFE held

in Brisbane in 2016. As part of the Forum the ‘Top 50 Ideas in Level Crossing Safety’ were

workshopped and the question was asked ‘If there are all of these ideas and technology

trials happening in Australia and New Zealand, what else is happening around the world?’

As such, TrackSAFE led a delegation overseas on a major fact-fi nding mission involving

a series of meetings and fi eld visits with world leaders in level crossing safety in the USA

and UK (the trip agenda is attached at Annex B).

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INTERNATIONAL LEVEL CROSSING SAFETY STUDY TOUR REPORT

TECHNOLOGIES

Study Tour participants deemed the following technologies as the most applicable

to Australia and New Zealand:

1. WAYSIDE HORN SYSTEM

Wayside horns may be used in lieu of the locomotive train horn. This device is a set

of roadside mounted speakers that emit a train horn sound only in the vicinity of

the crossing and directed toward the roadway. A dramatically smaller portion of the

neighbourhood hence hears the horn noise as it is targeted at the crossing itself and

directed towards the road.

The system includes an indication for the train driver that the wayside horn system

is functional.

The wayside horn has been an eff ective solution in ‘Quiet Zones’ in the USA.

2. FOUR QUADRANT GATE SYSTEM – AUTOMATIC LEVEL CROSSINGS

The use of four sets of gates block vehicle passage on the entire roadway and eff ectively

prohibit a motorist from driving around the gate. This system was developed in response

to vehicles zig-zagging around lowered half boom gates.

Typically, all four gates are lowered at the same time; however, as an additional safety

feature, if a car is on the tracks the departure gate will rise until the car leaves the track

area. Vehicle sensors (inductive loops) installed in the roadway at the crossing will

automatically keep the gates raised until the car passes by.

CTC has reported that where the four quadrant gate system has been installed

the incidence of broken or damaged barrier arms have signifi cantly declined or

been eliminated.

3. PEDESTRIAN ACTIVE WARNING SIGN

The pedestrian active warning system was developed to combat pedestrians attempting

the cross the tracks once the fi rst train had gone past, but while the lights were still

fl ashing and boom gates remained down (because a second train was coming and

hence pedestrians were being struck by trains).

Directed at pedestrians more so than vehicles, the ‘Warning 2nd Train Coming’ sign

fl ashes if there is another train coming, and there is also an audible warning. Results

have been impressive in terms of a decrease in incidents at sites where the technology

has been installed.

IMAGES 1 & 2

Wayside Horn System, USA

IMAGE 3

Four Quadrant Gate System –

Automatic Level Crossings, USA

1.

2.

3.

54

4. MOBILE SAFETY VEHICLE & RED LIGHT SAFETY ENFORCEMENT CAMERAS

Network Rail in partnership with the British Transport Police (BTP) undertake routine

enforcement campaigns at level crossings.

They use 15 mobile surveillance vehicles are used to target known hot-spots across

the network. 7,000 off ences were picked-up over 18-19 sites in the fi rst 18 months

of implementing the Mobile Safety Vehicles.

In terms of the infringements, off enders have a choice as to whether they are

issued with:

+ 100 pound fi ne and three demerit points, or

+ 90 pounds to attend level crossing driver awareness program run by BTP.

Network Rail also uses permanent high visibility fi xed red light safety equipment (RSLSE)

at selected crossings. These cameras automatically capture evidence data, digital images

and video of motorists breaching the stop lines after the red warning lights are activated

(using a combination of scanning radar, advanced video analytics and automatic number

plate recognition).

According to Network Rail and BTP, the focus on enforcement enabled by these

technologies has been very eff ective in bringing down incidents.

5. LOWER COST LEVEL CROSSING SAFETY DEVELOPMENTS

Network Rail is currently pursuing a range of low cost level crossing safety treatments

including Supplementary Audible Warning Device (SAWD), Project Meerkat (SIL rated

enhanced warning device) and Miniature Stop Lights (MSL).

Siemens also presented a concept for a low cost SIL 3 system based on a fi eld-

programmable gate array (FPGA) that can operate on only one hour of sun light,

supplemented by wind energy.

IMAGE 1

Pedestrian Active Warning Sign, USA

IMAGES 2 & 3

Mobile Safety Vehicle, UK

1.

2. 3.

76

CONCLUSIONS

In a world-fi rst, the International Level Crossing Safety Study Tour granted a signifi cant

opportunity to a group of senior rail industry professionals, and to the Australian and

New Zealand rail industries, to benefi t from the information, experiences, innovative

new technologies, and lessons learned from rail industries overseas.

Through the Study Tour it became clear that rail industries face the same level crossing

safety challenges across the globe. It is evident that Australia and New Zealand are up

among the best, although with many lessons that can be taken from other counties,

gathered through the signifi cant learning experience provided by the Study Tour.

Through existing mechanisms including the National Level Crossing Safety Committee,

TrackSAFE will work to ensure these learnings and ideas are taken forward and that

momentum continues in the level crossing safety space.

TrackSAFE acknowledges and thanks the exceptional hospitality provided by hosts in

both the USA and UK particularly from the AAR, CTC Inc., Network Rail and Siemens.

The trip would simply not have been possible without the assistance of these organisations;

delegates were extremely appreciative.

In the words of one delegate: “Overall, the level crossing tour provided an excellent

opportunity to learn from our hosts, the participants and build a broader network.

If in some small way an idea is germinated and saves a life or serious injury it will

have certainly been worthwhile. In that regard I am confi dent that we will be able

to make a diff erence.” – Phil Ellingworth, Chief Engineer, Metro Trains Melbourne.

Author: Naomi Frauenfelder, Executive Director TrackSAFE Foundation

“ If in some small way an idea is germinated

[from the Study Tour] and saves a life

or serious injury it will have certainly

been worthwhile. In that regard I am

confi dent that we will be able to

make a diff erence.”

Phil EllingworthChief Engineer, Metro Trains Melbourne

98

ANNEX A

INTERNATIONAL LEVEL CROSSING SAFETY STUDY TOUR DELEGATE LIST

NAME POSITION COMPANY

Jason Livingston GM Network Assets Aurizon

Tracee Pratt Business Manager Australasian Centre for Rail Innovation

Gregoire Larue Research Fellow Australasian Centre for Rail Innovation

John Skilton Professional Head Signals & Telecommunications KiwiRail

Phil Ellingworth Chief Engineer Metro Trains Melbourne

David Shacklock Safety Interface Coordinator – Network Safety Metro Trains Melbourne

Mukesh Mittal Railway Signalling & Systems Engineer Offi ce of the National Rail Safety

Regulator

Stephen Backway Technical Safety Manager Public Transport Victoria

Damien White CEO TasRail

Stewart Rendell Principal Signal Engineer John Holland CRN

Godwin Camilleri Level Crossings Policy and Program Manager Transport for NSW

Ema Nezirovic PM - Signalling, Track and Power VicTrack

Naomi Frauenfelder Executive Director TrackSAFE Foundation

Author: Naomi Frauenfelder, Executive Director TrackSAFE Foundation

INTERNATIONAL LEVEL CROSSING SAFETY STUDY TOUR GROUP PHOTO

CTC INC. OFFICES, FORT WORTH TEXAS

Left to Right, Back to Front: Mukesh Mittal, Gregoire Larue, John Skilton, Mike Martino- AAR, Brandom Gengelbach- Fort

Worth Chamber of Commerce, Stewart Rendell, Phil Ellingworth, Rick Campbell- CTC Inc., Tracee Pratt, Godwin Camilleri,

David Shacklock, Jason Livingston, Naomi Frauenfelder, Stephen Backway, Damien White, Ema Nezirovic.

1110

INTERNATIONAL LEVEL CROSSING SAFETY STUDY TOUR REPORT

ANNEX B

INTERNATIONAL LEVEL CROSSING SAFETY STUDY TOUR MEETING ITINERARY

DATE MEETING/SITE VISIT LOCATION

Monday

20 March

CTC, Inc.

+ Facility Tour

+ Technology Presentation AND Demonstration

+ Wayside Horn Field Demonstration – Fort Worth, TX

+ Four Quadrant Gate Demonstration – Colleyville, TX

+ BNSF Railway Network Operations Centre

Fort Worth, Texas

Wednesday

22 March

+ American Association of Railroads

+ Federal Railroad Administration

+ Volpe Centre

+ Operation Lifesaver

+ University of Illinois

Washington DC

Friday

24 March

+ Grand Central Terminal tour

+ Long Island site visits:

– ASTW Demonstration

– Another Train Coming Demonstration

– Four Quadrant Gate Demonstration

NYC and Long Island

Monday

27 March

Network Rail Level Crossing Managers Forum York, UK

Tuesday

28 March

Field visits with Network Rail:

+ Mobile Safety Vehicle demonstration with the police explaining

the equipment

+ Farm user-worked crossing with power operated gates (POGO)

and red/green stop lights

+ Manually controlled barrier with obstacle detection

+ Visit to signal box which operates the largest and busiest

crossings in the country

Travel to various

locations - UK

Wednesday

29 March

+ Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB)

+ Offi ce of Rail and Road (ORR)

London, UK

Thursday

30 March

Visit to Siemens facility Chippenham, UK

Author: Naomi Frauenfelder, Executive Director TrackSAFE Foundation

12

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