LD a FB: The implementation of acoustic and light signaling and the incorporation of artificial vision systems that detect the presence of obstacles at level crossings are currently being realized by the Adif company.
This action, with an investment of 10.7 million euros, includes the supply and installation of recording equipment for the control and supervision of level crossings through their centralization, using remote mechanisms, recording of events and level crossing status, as well as various engineering, works.
In addition to this technology, which enables real-time control of all connected intersections, the company is working on other innovations at level crossings, including the incorporation of artificial vision systems, which detect in real-time any incident or obstruction on the track next to the crossing, using cameras that discriminate and detect the occupation of this space.
Adif is currently making progress on projects to remove 299 level crossings, both on the conventional and metric gauge network, with a planned investment of 300 million euros. In addition to these actions, those derived from the alternative studies currently being carried out to eliminate more crossings must be added.
The removal of level crossings is carried out progressively, according to the intensity of vehicle and train traffic in each area, by the legislation established in this area.
The conventional and metric gauge rail networks have 2,966 level crossings. Since 2018, 230 level crossings have been closed and the protection of another 14 crossings has been improved with the installation of luminous and acoustic signaling.
The European Railway Agency (ERA) announces, that there are 105,300 level crossings in the European Union and more than 53% are protected or active (2018 data). Globally, the number of level crossings exceeds half a million.
According to data provided by the railway infrastructure managers of each country, Spain is -after Bulgaria- the second European nation with the lowest density of level crossings, with a total of 20 crossings per 100 kilometers of track. This figure is far below those of other countries such as the Netherlands (77), Finland (54), France (51), Germany (42), and Belgium (40).
