• Removals
• Financing
• June 2008 ministerial plan

Making level crossings safe

In June 2008 Dominique Bussereau, Secretary of State for Transportation, submitted proposals to make level crossings safer (download here) to the Prime Minister.

RFF is one of the players in the implementation of this plan, and is either guiding or contributing to several of the measures :

Prevention of car drivers getting too close (measure 1)

• Two prevention operations have been conducted: a national one on 24 June 2007 and a European one on 25 June 2008, organised by RFF in partnership with the State, the French road safety authority, the forces of law and order, the SNCF and all the regional authorities.
• It will be repeated on 22 June 2010 and extended to more than 45 countries worldwide.

Inform drivers of level crossings via their GPS terminals (measure 2)

• Over 11,000 can be downloaded for free on this website and from GPSPASSION.FR.

Automatic radar traps at level crossings (measure 6) :

• The first radar was installed on level crossing number 30 located in the communes of Lagny le Sec and Le Plessis-Belleville, in Oise in Picardy.
• After the test phase, it will record the offences of motorists who commit infractions on this level crossing.

Speed radars installed near level crossings (measure 7) :

• Over 20 problematic level crossings in which approach speed is the main problem were equipped with speeding radars during 2008 / 2009.

Safety diagnostics: government memorandum dated 11 July (measures 8 and 9):

• The RFF, together with the SNCF, has provided a list of level crossings involved in the diagnostics they are listed at site du ministère).
• The RFF has taken part in defining a framework for carrying out diagnostics about level crossings (SETRA, downloadable here).
• Lastly, RFF took part in drawing up a memorandum (SETRA) that details the various solutions for improvements to be implemented at level crossings (downloadable here).
• Many departments have conducted diagnostics of all their level crossings.

Distribution of financing among the managers of the rail and road networks (measure 12) :

• The new financing rule (50 % State + RFF and 50 % road infrastructure management body) has come into force.
• A charter has been signed by the State, the Association of Departments of France and RFF to confirm this new financing rule for level crossings on B roads. An identical charter is currently being negotiated for level crossings on local roads.

Carry out preliminary surveys of the first 50 problematic level crossings (measure 13) :

• 48 level crossings at least have a preliminary study under way or completed.
• The last two will be undertaken in 2010, after signing an agreement with the relevant local authorities.

Within 5 years to handle the problematic level crossings on A roads (Routes Nationales) (measure 14)

• Preliminary removal surveys were commenced at the end of October 2008 at 17 problematic level crossings on A roads (following signature of a financing agreement with the government).

Within 10 years to have dealt with all problematic level crossings (measure 15)

• The list of problematic level crossings was updated at the end of 2009: it contains 216 level crossings compared with 364 in 2005.
• 32 LCs have been eliminated
• 122 have been improved and no longer meet the criteria
• 14 are no longer part of the network managed by RFF
• 20 new LCs were added to the list, since they meet the criteria
• 110 projects to eliminate level crossings are in progress.

Improving “sensitive” level crossings (measure 16) :

• The SETRA note and the chart have been published (download them here).
• There is also a SETRA guide to level crossings close to junctions and especially roundabouts(SETRA website).

Install LED traffic lights within 5 years (measure 17) :

• All problematic level crossings are equipped with LED traffic lights.
• A study to reduce the cost of installing traffic lights is currently under way. Starting in 2010, around 3000 LCs should be equipped per year.

Improve the safety of level crossings with Cross Signs (measure 18) :

• Add lights and barriers to about 400 level crossings :
  • 14 LCs are currently being equipped in the test phase in order to confirm the new installation rules.
  • After this, around 100 LCs should be equipped per year.
• Defining new types of equipment for level crossings, based on just lights, and to install at about 800 level crossings.
  • A survey to define signs based on lights alone is currently being carried out with Road Safety.