Cross purpose

Obstacle detection technology designed to prevent collisions at level crossings will soon be used on the UK railway network, the government body responsible for rail safety has confirmed.

The Rail Safety & Standards Board (RSSB) will later this year invite bids for a contract to develop a system that can identify dangerous obstacles and bring trains to a halt.

The announcement follows publication of the RSSB’s report into last year’s Ufton rail accident, in which seven people died when a train collided with a car parked on a half-barrier crossing in Berkshire.

Some rail technology experts are urging the UK to adopt a similar approach to Japan, which is said to have cut accidents on level crossings by half since installing advanced systems on its network.

Michael Woods, head of operations at RSSB, said that various technologies will be under the spotlight. ‘We’ll be looking at everything from infrared to motion detectors and radar, as well as less likely options such as pressure sensors.’ Woods added that vision-based systems would probably be favoured because of their ability to distinguish between different types of obstacles.