Introducing Automated Obstacle Detection to British Level Crossings

Abstract

This paper discusses the implementation of automated obstacle detection to British level crossings to improve safety and efficiency, reduce costs and analyse how successful this could be. There are over 6000 level crossings in Britain, and they are the largest single risk to the railways; one method to improve their safety is by introducing automated obstacle detection. Over the last ten years, there have been, on average, nine deaths a year at level crossings (Rail Safety and Standards Board in Annual safety performance report. Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited, SL, 2016) (excluding suicides), making them a high priority for Network Rail to improve. Obstacle detection would not just help improve the safety of level crossings, but it could also reduce the costs associated with level crossing signallers and operators and would lower the waiting times for road vehicles and pedestrians. With research also being done into the future possibility of introducing autonomous trains to the British railways, the combination of this and the obstacle detection system proposed could see a large improvement in safety across the level crossings.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78544-8_3
Divisions: College of Engineering & Physical Sciences > School of Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering > Engineering Systems and Supply Chain Management
College of Engineering & Physical Sciences > Aston Institute of Urban Technology and the Environment (ASTUTE)
College of Engineering & Physical Sciences
Additional Information: This accepted manuscript is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). The Version of record can be found here: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-78544-8_3
Event Title: RailExchange 2017
Event Type: Other
Event Dates: 2017-10-04 - 2017-10-06
Uncontrolled Keywords: Automated,Crossing,Detection,Level,Obstacle,Energy (miscellaneous),Automotive Engineering,Control and Systems Engineering,Transportation
ISBN: 978-3-319-78543-1, 978-3-319-78544-8
Last Modified: 14 Feb 2024 08:01
Date Deposited: 11 Mar 2019 11:57
Full Text Link: https://eprint. ... cl.ac.uk/240699
Related URLs: http://link.spr ... 3-319-78544-8_3 (Publisher URL)
PURE Output Type: Chapter
Published Date: 2019
Published Online Date: 2018-06-20
Accepted Date: 2017-10-01
Authors: Dent, Matthew
Marinov, Marin (ORCID Profile 0000-0003-1449-7436)

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