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Cover of Measures for Managing Safety of Heavy Vehicles at Passive and Active Railway Level Crossings
Measures for Managing Safety of Heavy Vehicles at Passive and Active Railway Level Crossings
  • Publication no: AP-R370-10
  • ISBN: 978-1-921709-48-7
  • Published: 1 November 2010

This report measures for managing safety of heavy vehicles at passive and active railway level crossings aims to identify and develop measures to manage the risks associated with the passage of restricted access vehicles (RAV) and multi-combination vehicles (MCV) across active and passive railway level crossings. RAVs and MCVs are referred to as RAVs in this report.

An earlier Austroads project NS1563: Heavy Vehicle Sight Distance Requirements at Rail Crossings concluded that, due to the long lengths and slow acceleration and deceleration of RAVs, extremely long sight distances are required for RAV drivers at passively controlled railway level crossings. The project also indicated that the sight distances required are unlikely to be met at most level crossings, particularly where train speeds are high. There are also potential risks for collisions at active crossings.

Drivers of the larger heavy vehicles need sufficient warning time to decelerate to a stop once the signals have been activated by an approaching train. Therefore measures need to be identified and developed to manage the risks at both active and passive rail level crossings.

  • 1. INTRODUCTION
  • 2. REVIEW OF HEAVY VEHICLE CRASH HISTORY AT RAIL CROSSINGS
    • 2.1. Heavy Vehicle Crashes at Rail Crossings
    • 2.2. Level Crossing Crashes and Control Situations
    • 2.3. Major Factors Contributing to Level Crossing Crashes
    • 2.4. Safe System Principles as they Apply to Rail Level Crossings
    • 2.5. Recommendations from the Stakeholder Workshop
  • 3. REVIEW OF RISK MITIGATION MEASURES
    • 3.1. Measures for Passive Level Crossing
      • 3.1.1. Upgrading Passive to Active Protection
      • 3.1.2. Alternative Treatments
      • 3.1.3. Industry Products
    • 3.2. Measures for Active Level Crossings
      • 3.2.1. Lengthen the Timing Between the Onset of Flashing Lights and the Arrival of the Train
      • 3.2.2. Train Predictor
      • 3.2.3. Active Advance Warning Signs
      • 3.2.4. Second Train Warning
      • 3.2.5. Combination of Flashing Lights with Boom Barriers
    • 3.3. Traffic Management Measures
      • 3.3.1. Review of the Sight Distance Standard
      • 3.3.2. Speed Reduction for Road and Rail Users
      • 3.3.3. Rumble Strips
      • 3.3.4. Crossing Conspicuity
      • 3.3.5. Dial-up System
      • 3.3.6. Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras
      • 3.3.7. Physical Treatments
    • 3.4. Governance
      • 3.4.1. ALCAM
      • 3.4.2. Over Dimension/Over Length Permit to Traverse Level Crossings
    • 3.5. Education and Enforcement
      • 3.5.1. Combination of Education and Enforcement
      • 3.5.2. Automated Enforcement
      • 3.5.3. Intelligent Access Program
  • 4. KEY FINDINGS
  • 5. RECOMMENDATIONS
    • 5.1. Future Research
    • 5.2. Actions
  • References
  • APPENDIX A QUESTIONNAIRE USED FOR STAKEHOLDER SURVEY
  • APPENDIX B LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTED
  • APPENDIX C LEVEL CROSSING CRASHES AND VEHICLE TYPE BY JURISDICTIONS (2003 – 2007)
  • APPENDIX D HEAVY VEHICLE CRASHES AT LEVEL CROSSINGS BY TYPE OF CONTROL AND JURISDICTION 2003 – 2007
  • APPENDIX E EVALUATION OF 12 ALTERNATIVE TRAIN DETECTION TECHNOLOGIES INTHE TTI REPORT
  • APPENDIX F OVER DIMENSION/OVER LENGTH PERMIT TO TRAVERSE LEVEL CROSSINGS OF DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS
  • COMMENTARY 1
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