A system to proactively warn train drivers about danger will be introduced at railway crossings
A system is planned to be installed at Belarusian railway crossings that will be able to recognize cars, people, and animals on the tracks and automatically warn train drivers about danger. The warning will be sent when the train is up to three kilometers away from the crossing, reports the press service of Belarusian Railways.
Illustrative image. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
An agreement on the creation of the system was signed on October 14 by Belarusian Railways and Beltelecom. The system's implementation is scheduled for 2027.
The need for the new technology is due to the fact that there are currently 66 railway crossings with limited visibility in Belarus. They are located on turns where trains travel at speeds exceeding 100 km/h. If a car or agricultural machinery gets stuck at such a crossing, the train driver may not have time to avoid a collision.
Specialists of Belarusian Railways studied six technologies for obstacle detection and warning transmission to the locomotive cabin. As a result, they decided to use a video analytics system based on Beltelecom's technologies and railway technical means.
CCTV cameras will monitor the situation at crossings. If the system recognizes a person, animal, car, or other foreign object on the tracks, it will automatically transmit a warning to the train driver via train radio communication. Locomotive crews whose trains are within three kilometers of a dangerous crossing will be able to receive these messages.