Improvement of level crossing safety
This situational picture provides information about the safety of level crossings and the improvement thereof in Finland. The situational picture is primarily updated twice a year. The information is produced by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency. The information is part of the strategic situational picture of the Finnish transport network.
The arterial route network in accordance with the arterial network decree still includes 728 level crossings and the rest of the railway network has 1,866 level crossings (at the end of 2020). The share of the arterial route network of the state-owned railway network is 57%. Removing level crossings is one of the most important individual measures to improve traffic safety and streamline railway transport, especially on busy sections of track.
The objective is to improve the safety of road and railway users and reduce equipment damage, disruptions to train services and the risk of environmental damage caused by level crossing accidents. The objective is to remove and improve as many level crossings as possible from the railway network each year. Even though the number of accidents has decreased significantly from before, approximately 20 level crossing accidents still occur in the railway network each year.
The level crossings in the state-owned network have been classified into seven circumstance classes based on circumstances and volume of traffic. Approximately 5% of the crossings are in the poorest class. The level crossing sites to be removed and improved are selected for the programme based on prioritisation based on the combined effect of safety criteria and cost efficiency. The level crossings in the immediate vicinity of these sites are assessed simultaneously, because the road arrangements concerning the planned sites may also be used to remove other level crossings.
According to a provision based on an EU Commission regulation, a level crossing that does not meet the criteria of the provision in question must be amended to comply by the end of 2030, equipped with a warning system or removed from use. It is important to prepare for improving level crossing safety even after 2030.
The best way to improve level crossing safety is to remove the level crossing entirely or equip it with a warning system. Low-volume level crossings, in particular, may benefit from new types of cost-efficient warning systems that operate on alternative energy sources. Removal and improvement are also connected to development projects and renovations.