Safer-LC

Integrating and optimising road-rail infrastructure

The SAFER-LC project aims to tackle the problem of fatalities and accidents at the intersections between railways and roads, more commonly referred to as level crossings (LCs). At present, over half of the 120,000 LCs across Europe remain unprotected, resulting in around one serious injury and one fatality per day. The SAFER-LC project brings together 17 partners committed to tackling the LC security issues through the development of innovative solutions and tools for the proactive management and upgrading of LC infrastructure.

The project aims to develop and test user-friendly low-cost and innovative solutions that offer fast and functional early warning systems for rail and road transport at level crossings.

In order to guarantee the safety of LCs across Europe, smart systems must be developed that detect oncoming vehicles and act as the communication link between the vehicles concerned and the LC infrastructure.

Robust cooperation mechanisms between stakeholders of different transport modes are also required so as to facilitate and promote common road and rail standards for warning and detection systems in the future.

IRU's role

IRU contributed to the SAFER-LC project by identifying the needs and requirements for a safer LC management. The latter work is now used to build business models to ensure a successful deployment of the solutions developed in the project.

IRU will also actively participate in the elaboration of recommendations and guidelines to improve safety at level crossings. Due to its large member base, IRU is in a position to voice the results and disseminate them widely to its members.

Project results

SAFER-LC Project has been successfully concluded on April 30, 2020.

The project addressed the issue of level crossing safety and aimed to improve safety and minimise risk by developing a fully-integrated set of innovative solutions and tools for the proactive management and design of level-crossing infrastructure.

A direct result of the project is the SAFER-LC toolbox consisting of a database for level crossing safety measures. Decision makers can log in through toolbox.safer-lc.eu and explore available safety measures, taking into consideration criteria as cost, type of protection, user category, level crossing environment, effect mechanism, etc.

IRU led the application of the Cost – Benefit Analysis and the proposed business model.