Safety considerations for railway crossings in a post-COVID world

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly changed how people live, work, and commute. Indeed, a significant proportion of individuals now work (at least partially) remotely; others continue to commute and are more likely to avoid using public transport to reduce their exposure to potential illnesses. With safety at railway crossings largely contingent on road traffic, such changes impact the safety at level crossings. Investigations are therefore necessary to understand whether the level crossing risks have changed.

This study observed road traffic and non-compliance at two urban railway crossings in Australia before the pandemic started (September 2019) and after the end of the first national lockdown in Australia. Counts of road and rail traffic was recorded on a tablet, and non-compliance with the rules of the level crossing.

A total of 14,048 road and 94 train movements were observed at the railway crossings. After the lockdown, road traffic at both crossings increased by 15% and 36%, respectively, while train traffic remained similar. Such traffic increase represents a risk increment of 10% and 15%, respectively, using the Australian Level Crossing Assessment Model (ALCAM). There was also an increased proportion of cars, reflecting a reduction in pedestrian and bus traffic. In terms of non-compliance, there was an increase in the number of vehicles that could not proceed through the crossing and were stopped immediately after or on the rail tracks. This increase was up to 3 times at the first crossing, largely over what would be expected due to traffic increase.

To the knowledge of the authors at the time of submission, this research is the first to look at the effect of COVID-19 on traffic at railway level crossings in Australia. It aligns with what is known for other parts of the road network and identifies an increase in safety risks at railway crossings.