Space 4 Level Crossing

The proposed service concept offers a structured approach to integrating EO and the onboard environmental perception system to assess visibility conditions at passive railroad crossings within the defined area. First, the EO data are used for regular screening of visibility conditions at all passive railroad crossings in the managed area, e.g., every two months (Step 1 in Figure 1).

The advanced processing techniques applied to the collected EO data enable the identification and classification of level crossings with potential sight obstructions, which are then classified as critical. Based on this classification, the infrastructure operator decides which of the level crossings classified as critical should undergo further assessment using the on-board environmental detection system mounted on either a maintenance or operational train (Step 2 in Figure 1).

Once this decision has been made, the vehicle-mounted environmental perception system is used to collect detailed information about visibility conditions at these critical railroad crossings (Step 3 in Figure 1).

Once the data has been collected and processed, it is analyzed by the infrastructure operator. Based on this analysis, the infrastructure operator determines whether on-site measures are necessary to resolve the visibility issues identified (Step 4 in Figure 1).

These measures may include trimming vegetation, removing objects that obstruct visibility, or other corrective actions to restore or improve visibility at the affected locations. These measures are implemented on-site in accordance with the infrastructure operator’s decision (Step 5 in Figure 1).

Figure 1 illustrates the proposed service concept. The proposed process ensures that visibility issues are promptly identified and resolved in a resource-efficient manner, with the overarching goal of improving safety and operational efficiency at unmanned railroad crossings within the managed area.