SŽDC Strives to Increase Safety at Railway Crossings in a Long Term

15.10.2018

Správa železniční dopravní cesty (SŽDC) systematically strives to increase safety at railway crossings. Every year, it selects in cooperation with the Police of the Czech Republic and the Rail Authority dozens of railway crossings which are suitable for modernization or a safety increase, especially on transit corridors and at crossings with 1st class roads. At the same time, SŽDC strives to decrease the number of crossings on the Czech railway network.


The Czech Republic occupies an uncomplimentary position in the number of accidents at railway crossings, but not due to their bad safeguarding or inappropriate use of financial resources. Long-term statistics demonstrate very clearly that the vast majority of accidents is caused by car drivers, cyclists or pedestrians who do not observe basic regulations and laws in force.

SŽDC has elaborated internal analyses and overviews concerning railway crossings. A document called Analysis for increasing safety at level railway crossings on rail transit corridors deals with safety issues of 100 railway crossings on transit corridors where a possibility of their possible closing, restricting road traffic or reconstruction to a grade-separated junction was being considered. Based on the results of the study, preparations of 25 priority constructions for a safety level increase at railway crossings were launched; a construction project intent and documentation for area management proceedings are in preparation, two more selected crossings were incorporated into the investment plan by SŽDC.


In-process grade-separated junctions, implementation estimated after 2020:

  • Replacing crossings P8166 Halenkovice, P8167 Napajedla and P8168 Žlutava on the line Břeclav – Přerov
  • Replacing crossing P8155 Rohatec on the line Břeclav – Přerov
  • Replacing crossing P6501 Studénka on the line Přerov – Bohumín
  • Replacing crossing P4897 Uhersko on the line Česká Třebová – Praha
  • Replacing crossing P6508 Polanka nad Odrou on the line Přerov – Bohumín
  • Replacing crossing P6532 Olomouc-Holice on the line Přerov – Olomouc

SŽDC also elaborated a list of all railway crossings with 1st class roads, equipped with safety and signalling installations without barriers. The list contains approximately 60 crossings with the objective to complete all of them with barriers. At present, 36 crossings with 1st class roads are being dealt with: barriers will be added to 35 level crossings, one crossing will be replaced by a grade-separated junction.


Constructions being implemented this year:

  • Adding barriers and signalling equipment reconstruction at crossing P8330 in km 129.017 on the line Frýdek Místek – Český Těšín
  • Adding barriers at crossings P6847 in km 6,64; P6858 in km 17.059; P6865 in km 21.323 and P6913 in km 39.521 on the line Svitavy – Žďárec u Skutče
  • Adding barriers at crossings P6890 in km 28.109 and P6896 in km 30.380 on the line Svitavy – Žďárec u Skutče


Implementation in 2019:

  • Adding barriers and signalling equipment reconstruction at crossing P4344 in km 10.587 on the line Lipová Lázně – Bernartice u Javorníka
  • Adding barriers at crossings P 7544 in km 42.175, P7549 in km 47.174 and P7559 in km 58.183 on the line Opava východ – Krnov
  • Adding barriers at crossing P7039 in km 56.843 on the line Žďár nad Sázavou – Tišnov
  • Adding barriers and signalling equipment reconstruction at crossing P6067 in km 2.396 on the line Olbramovice – Sedlčany
  • Adding barriers and signalling equipment reconstruction at crossing P3459 in km 4.89 on the line Rybniště – Zittau
  • Adding barriers and signalling equipment reconstruction at crossing P1679 in km 22.694 on the line Plzeň – Mladotice
  • Adding barriers at crossings P1348 in km 23.017, P1360 in km 28.552 and P1367 in km 33.149 on the line Březnice – Strakonice
  • Adding barriers and signalling equipment reconstruction at crossings P4332 in km 2.680 and P4342 in km 9.351 on the line Lipová Lázně – Bernartice u Javorníka
  • Adding barriers at crossing P7810 in km 2.848 of the line Opava východ – Hradec nad Moravicí
  • Adding barriers at crossing P6708 in km 10.086 on the line Suchdol nad Odrou – Budišov nad Budišovkou
  • Adding barriers and signalling equipment reconstruction at crossing P3148 in km 8.016 on the line Hradec Králové – Turnov
  • Adding barriers at crossing P2885 in km 3.110 on the line Frýdlant v Č. – Jindřichovice pod Smrkem
  • Adding barriers at crossing P3191 in km 27.144 on the line Bakov nad Jizerou – Kopidlno
  • Adding barriers at crossing P687 in km 6.240 on the line Domažlice – Planá u Mariánských Lázní
  • Adding barriers at crossing P6173 in km 34.455 on the line Veselí nad Lužnicí – Jihlava
  • Adding barriers and signalling equipment reconstruction at crossing P6382 in km 47.208 on the line Horní Cerekev – Tábor
  • Adding barriers at crossings P954 in km 7.099, P1002 in km 35.375 a P1034 in km 62.771 on the line Strakonice – Volary


Implementation in 2020

  • Signalling equipment construction at crossing P1290 in km 17.458 on the line Blatná – Nepomuk
  • Adding barriers and signalling equipment reconstruction at crossing P3168 in km 19.091 on the line Libuň – Turnov

Another positive fact is that the number of crossings safeguarded only by St. Andrew’s crosses is decreasing in the long term and the number of crossings with signalling equipment completed by barriers grows. Only last year, barriers were added to sixty railway crossings.

Project preparation, acquiring a building permit and selecting a supplier may take even several years. In some cases, a change of the ground plan is necessary; a separate study on environmental impacts has to be elaborated for some constructions as well.

Files

Press release to download pdf