Australian Level Crossing Practices - IRSE Australian_LX... · Australian Level Crossing Practices ... Law has been enacted

Australian Level Crossing Practices

Peter Symons F.I.R.S.E.Technical Director

Tritun Pty Ltd

Version 1.0 30-03-2016

Level crossing with Booms in Adelaide, South Australia.Photo P Symons 2009

© Peter Symons 2016

Presentation Agenda

• Human Problems• Technical Problems

– Wheel-Rail Interface– Grade Crossing Predictor

(GCP)– Traffic Light Co-ordination

• Environmental Problems• Signal Passed at Danger

(SPAD) – LX• “Innovations”

• Applicable standards for Level Crossings

• Current Statistics• Types of Crossings– Passive– Active

• Australian Level Crossing Assessment Model (ALCAM)


Australian Legislation & Standards

• Legislation and Regulation– National Rail Safety Act– State Rail Safety Act – soon to be Nationally aligned – Workplace Health and Safety or Occupational Health and

Safety Act• Standards– National Rail Industry Safety & Standards Board (RISSB) -

Australian Network Rules and Procedures (ANRP)– National - AS/NZS 4292:2006 Railway Safety Management– Railway - Safety Management System– Railway - Safeworking Rules and Procedures


Applicable Legislation & Regulation

Rail Safety Act in each State

http://www.transportregulator.nsw.gov.au/

http://www.onrsr.com.au/publication-and-forms/legislation

http://www.transportsafety.vic.gov.au/rail-safety

Currently includesSouth Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, and Victoria.

i.e. where the Rail Safety National Law has been enacted


Australian Standards - LX

http://www.standards.org.au/Pages/default.aspx

Australian Network Rules and Procedures (ANRP)Safeworking Rules & Procedures

http://www.rissb.com.au/site/

http://www.arema.org/

International Standards


Examples of Railway Standards

http://extranet.artc.com.au/eng_signal_procedure.html

http://ptv.vic.gov.au/about-ptv/engineering-standards/victorian-rail-industry-operators-group-standars-vriogs/

http://www.asa.transport.nsw.gov.au/ts/asa-standards

https://railsafe.org.au/


Australian Rail Track Corporation

Accident Investigations

Australian Transport Safety Bureau – ATSBhttp://www.atsb.gov.au/rail.aspx

Office of Transport Safety Investigations - OTSI http://www.otsi.nsw.gov.au/rail/investigations.php


Standards - New South Wales (NSW)

• RISSB/AS 7658-2012. Railway Infrastructure – Railway Level Crossing.

• Australian Standard AS 1742.7-2007 Manual of Uniform Traffic Devices applies.

• AREMA specs mostly apply for lights, mechanism, booms, and bell equipment - however

• Generally local (State based) railway standards (guidelines) from rail asset owner, and road standards take precedence. E.g. for NSW http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/business-industry/partners-and-suppliers/guidelines/australianstandardssupplement-

as1742-version21.pdf


Australian LX StatisticsLevel Crossing accident fatalities

for 6 years 1997 - 2002

Perth

Darwin

Adelaide

Melbourne

Canberra ACT

Sydney

Brisbane

Hobart

At least 23,000 level crossings in

Australia

90

60

27

921

0

2

12014 -2015

0

2014 -20151

2014 -20150


Types of Level Crossing (LX) Protection

Passive

• Protected by Flashing Lights

• Protected by Flashing Lights and Boom Barriers

• Pedestrian Crossings may be separate (standalone) or be part of a road crossing

• Some crossings are also CCTV controlled.

Active

• Not protected by active warning devices

• Protected by hand signalling or manual gates


Types of LX Protection - PassiveSigns only – no interface with the

signalling system.Relies on Road User obeying signs.

RX-2 assemblyRefer to AS1742.7-2007 cl 2.2

Generally used where there is a low density of rail traffic.

© Peter Symons 2016 Photos P Symons 2016

LX Protection - Active Flashing Lights

These are commonly called Type F Level Crossings• There are a pair of Lights that

flash alternately when activated

• Also there is a Bell or Buzzer to warn pedestrians

• For this example from the ARTC Hunter Valley network the approach of a rail vehicle is detected by track circuits that operate the crossing.

RX-5 assembly Refer to AS1742.7-2007 cl 2.3


Photo P Symons 2016

LX Protection – Active Lights & BoomsIncludes all the Type F Level Crossing features• Plus a pair of half boom barriers.

• For this example from the ARTC Hunter Valley network the approach of a rail vehicle is detected by track circuits that operate the crossing.

• Also included are a pair of pedestrian gates.

• Shows an emergency exit gate, hinged away from track, and is self closing.

• Typically also has a magnetic latch push button operated.


Photos P Symons 2016

Berry Crossing – Booms in Action


So - what protection to apply and where?

• Provides risk assessment matrices to determine whether a crossing should progress from say:

• Passive to Active control,

• Active with booms, or• Eliminate through

grade separation

Australian Level Crossing Assessment Model - ALCAM

ALCAM delivers a prioritised list of work (level crossing improvements), against which a pool of funds is allocated.

ALCAM delivers a prioritised list of work (level crossing improvements), against which a pool of funds is allocated.

Ref ALCAM in detail NSW


Minimum Warning times for the road user and

pedestrian

Minimum Warning times for the road user and

pedestrian

Warning Times for different Types of Crossings

The absolute minimum warning times applicable to road level crossings shall be in accordance with the AREMA Manual Part 3.3.10 which is 20 seconds.

Design warning times for new road and pedestrian crossings shall be:

25 seconds for Type F light installations.30 seconds for Type F light and boom installations with a gate delay of 10-12 seconds.

19 seconds for pedestrian crossings with lights.25 seconds for pedestrian crossings with lights and booms or swing gates.

RailCorp Signalling Principle ESG 100.18.1.11

Different Requirements in Different States


Getting across the tracks - Pedestrian Crossing Issues

• Pedestrian gate delay is dependent on the width of track, e.g. Double track gives 19 to 25 seconds.

• Diagonal crossing as shown takes longer time than right angled crossing.

• Once the bell starts the pedestrian needs enough time to get to the second gate.

• The pedestrian may be a fit person 0.8m/s paceOr an older person with a walking frame 1.2m/s pace.

Road

Pedestrian Gate

Pedestrian Gate

These considerations are in part to ensure

Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance.

These considerations are in part to ensure

Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance.


Human Problems

• Dormant LX– Habituation, where crossings not actually used by rail traffic for a long time

say a dormant LX on a seasonal wheat line. – Need to manage motorists expectations. – Motorists expect no LX operation!

• Motorists driving around booms. Articulated barriers?• Need for last resort vehicle escapes. Maybe due to

queuing.• Need to have a defensive layering of control protection

measures.


Technical Problems - Wheel Rail Interface

Problem• Poor wheel rail interface - not

detecting "light (axle load) vehicles" or hi-railers.

• Lightly used lines have poor shunt characteristics, and also for little used LX or where track not insulated or perhaps where steel sleepers used.

Solution axle counters - used in some states. Problem hi railers.

Use LX to put on/take off track, leading to miscounts for the axle counter system. Reset process needed.

Road Rail Vehicle Photo Aries Rail

Hi-railers with small wheel diameter. Can also lead to axle counter miscount failures.


Technical Problems - GCP• Over speed allowance 10" thinking

time plus 5" for reliable operation.• Non constant train speed. Signs don't

need to be at strike in, perhaps 500m?• Managing accelerating trains. Add in

some more warning time.• Wide band shunt capacitor for D.C.

tracks Narrow band tuned circuit for A.C. tracks

• An overlay track circuit (Audio Frequency Overlay (AFO) keeping LX separate from the signalling track circuits.

Blue band denotes GCP crossing


• GCP not currently suitable for electrified areas 1,500 DC or 25kV AC.

Technical Problems – Traffic Light Co-ordination

• Minimise the possibility of queuing across LX

• Basically this is integration with road traffic engineering to avoid queuing.

• For active crossings traffic light co-ordination works both ways; limits rail traffic and road traffic.

• Actual level of co-ordination (sophistication) varies by state e.g. NSW more complex and SA simpler.


Main aim is to prevent approaching cars getting into the rail crossing area and get rid of cars already in the crossing. A good idea - have a Cross hatched box on road across LX.

Environmental Problems

• North – South railways - glare with morning and afternoon sun – flashing lights hard to see.

• Fog needs to be considered as part of determining the level of protection, passive or active.

• LX road surface degradation.• Railway responsibility to provide overhead clearance

sign to provide advance warning to road users of catenary height restrictions.

• High wind support for securing booms when crossing booked out of use.


Level Crossing - Safe State Failures

Top 10 failures of 1,731 reported


Level Crossing - Unsafe failures


SPAD - Failure to activate

Case Study• A freight train was approaching an interlocking. It passed the

Signal at stop (SPAD) by approximately 75 meters.• When the train passed the Signal at stop the train arrived

unannounced at a Level Crossing, the active warning devices did not operate until the train was occupying the road crossing (X track circuit) [that is no warning time].

Hazard• Train occupying an active level crossing without operating the

warning devices (“F” type lights and Bell) due to the approach warning time being qualified out by the signal being at stop.

• Driver admitted responsibility – no further investigation done

BUT later there were another 2 SPADs of the same signal!!!© Peter Symons 2016

SPAD - Failure to activate

Further Investigation• Non compliance to ARTC Standard ESC-04-01 2.4.2

“Signals on the approach to level crossings shall where practical be positioned 200 metres from the level crossing. New signals should not be placed closer than 100

metres to the level crossing. Where this cannot be achieved then special consideration shall be given to the non-conditioning of the level crossing operation

for a stop signal.”

• Changes to the infrastructure on the approach to the level crossing meant that – there was insufficient braking distance to the signal at 90 km/hr and,– signal sighting was also affected.

System Failure can be caused by changes to rail infrastructure


“Innovations”Detect the Crossing is clear• CCTV?• Obstruction detection proving

crossing clear e.g. using radar, or magnetometers?

But what do you design the system to do if something

detected? • Probably not able to stop the train

before the crossing - especially if a freight, coal, or iron ore train.

• Or increase warning time that includes time for detecting crossing clear and the braking of the train at line speed. Closure time issue.

Queensland Rail CCTV monitoring at Mayne Control Centre Brisbane

Photo P Symons 2012


“Innovations” - Low cost LX warning devices

Legal arguments seem to have scuppered these “so called” low cost systems due to the difficulty of making a safety argument so-far-as-is-reasonably-practicable (SFAIRP).

Examples • no guarantee of reliable solar

power, instead of mains power.• use of approach track radio - not

SIL4.Low cost signalling. Not a good selling point to government

as seen as providing lesser safety!

Integrated LX controller and axle counter potential for radio links to avoid trenching to

strike in points

Newport Training Facility Victoria Photo P Symons 2012


Summary

• Australian political focus on improving safety at Road/Rail Crossings has led to a reduction in fatalities.

• Design of level crossing protection requires a whole of system approach.

• Maintenance of effective Crossing Protection requires vigilance.

• “Innovations” may add to system complexity.


Questions


Documents

Australian Level Crossing Practices - IRSE Australian_LX... · Australian Level Crossing Practices ... Law has been enacted