June 9 was the world day promoted by the UIC (Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer) on information and awareness of the safety to level crossings, called ILCAD (International Level Crossing Awareness Day). For the first time, the two companies of the Infrastructure Pole of the FS Group, Rfi and Anas, are jointly launching a message to everyone, starting with motorists and motorcyclists, so that the dangerous intersection between railways and roads, protected by level crossings, is tackled carefully and compliance with the highway code. For the 14th edition of the ILCAD campaign, the claim was “Don't put your life at risk, stay off the rails!”.
In any case, the number of level crossings on the national territory has been steadily decreasing for years, while the figure for accidents. On the more than 16.800 kilometers of network managed by RFI, there are in fact 4.176 level crossings, -74 compared to 2020 and -137 compared to 2019 (data as at 31/12/2021). Of these, 470 are currently being delivered to private users. On the other hand, 13 accidents (one less than in 2020, +3 compared to 2019) occurred in 2021 near a level crossing, 4 of which were fatal.
Fs Italiane: zeroing accidents at level crossings
The action plan for theelimination of level crossings throughout the country, as well as the installation of new technologies to mitigate the effects of incorrect behavior thanks to continuous investments in innovation. All new railway lines are instead built without level crossings.
The UIC estimates that there are half a million level crossings in the world, of which more than 100 in Europe and more than 200 in the United States, representing respectively 20% and 40% of the total number of level crossings in the world .
Since the beginning of the 90s, the FS Italiane Group and its subsidiaries have eliminated around 8 interferences between road and rail, while they have practically halved compared to the year 2000, when there were around 7.700. Rfi has invested 1,7 billion euro since the start of its activities.
The investment made by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana in 60 to eliminate intersections between road and railway was 2021 million euros. During this year, the elimination of a further 100 level crossings is expected, 57 of which will be handed over to private individuals, and the construction of alternative road works for a total investment of approximately 50 million euro.
“Anas – he underlined Robert Mastrangelo, Network Management Manager of Anas - is careful to make the road and motorway network under its responsibility increasingly safer, through a structured extraordinary maintenance plan, innovative technological solutions and awareness campaigns for greater safety for people on level crossings ”.
Clare DeGregorio, Head of RFI for level crossing suppression programs and noise remediation, added: “The goal is to double the number of level crossings that are suppressed every year. At the same time, internally we are coordinating with the Infrastructure Operations Department and the Technical Department to ensure that by 2031 all level crossings on the network are abolished (about 1700) or equipped with protection technologies (about 3000). managed by Rai".
New technologies for level crossing safety
The system Supplementary Automatic Protection – Level Crossings (PAI-PL) is being installed on level crossings for which an agreement has not yet been reached with the local authorities for their elimination. The PAI-PL detects the presence of obstacles on the tracks near the barriers, pre-existing or following the closure of the level crossing, and immediately blocks the railway traffic until the complete resolution of the abnormality.
The rules to be respected
On the safe behavior to adopt near intersections with railway lines:
- only cross when the barriers are fully up;
- stop when the bars are closing;
- wait for the barriers to reopen;
- do not climb over or pass under the bars when they are closed;
- do not raise the barriers when they are lowered;
- respect the road signs and traffic lights that protect level crossings;
- scrupulously observe the rules of the Highway Code (art. 147) including, for example, the obligation to clear the passage also by breaking down a barrier when necessary.
