Rail Safety Systems has developed the Rail Active Crossings Safety System (RAXS), an innovative, solar powered, wireless active SIL3 level crossing system, for fast and cost-effective installation and operation.
Proven System
RAXS has been the subject of extensive field trials and human factors research
Zero Harm Aim
Safe, clear, compliant regulatory signs, with true FailSafe, provide clear visual warnings to road users at all times
Capex & Opex Savings
RAXS is autonomous, solar powered and wireless, ensuring faster and cheaper installation and lower operating costs
Company Profile
Australian governments have a “Zero Harm Policy” at Australian rail crossings by 2025. Australian Rail Safety Occurrence Data have estimated the annual economic burden of railway safety incidents in the 8 years to 2014 to be over $360m.
Rail Safety Systems has developed the Rail Active Crossing System (RAXS), an innovative, solar powered, wireless, SIL3 active level crossing system, that delivers financial, safety and operational benefits for Rail Operators.
Rail Safety Systems is a systems integrator and manufacturer that leverages existing and proprietary technologies to develop innovative solutions for the rail industry, with a particular focus on providing low cost rail crossing safety products.
Product Profile
Rail Active Crossing System (RAXS)
RAXS features a railway active signage system together with a train detection system.
Our product offers significant differentiation compared to conventional active or passive level crossing warning systems. Safe, clear, compliant regulatory signs provide clear unambiguous visual warnings to road users at all times; regardless of whether the crossing system is active or failed.
The RAXS design incorporates a true FailSafe to ensure the level crossing remains protected, even where there is a system failure or outage. Maintaining level crossing protection during failure or outage is particularly important for rural and remote level crossings where geographical isolation can mean delays in maintenance response times.
RAXS is autonomous, solar powered and wireless, ensuring faster and cheaper installation and lower operating costs. The system does not require external power or track-side cabling, reducing time, cost and risk, and reducing whole-of-life costs.
The Rail Active Crossing System:
- Provides active protection (flashing lights and optional audible warning) under normal operating conditions;
- Provides a true FailSafe mode, where any failure event provides a default passive signage display, with the addition of LED alerts to improve salience for motorists;
- Can be deployed efficiently, with simplified construction installation and commissioning procedures;
- Enables all sub-systems to be transported to site locations as complete units;
- Eliminates the need for AC power through the use of solar panels and long-life batteries;
- Eliminates the need for track-side cabling through the use of encrypted dual frequency wireless connectivity;
- Maximises commonality of modules and panels;
- Provides independent autonomous operation;
- Meets appropriate Australian standards for both active and passive systems, required by all rail operators.
- Enables the advanced warning system to be displayed at a distance of up to one kilometre on either side of the railway level crossing to effectively warn heavy transport and faster moving vehicles that a train is approaching the railway level crossing, providing sufficient time to safely slow down and stop prior to the crossing;
- Includes advanced battery storage that is recharged by solar energy and has sufficient capacity to operate continuously through adverse weather conditions for up to 10 days with “no sun”;
- Comprises a signage sub-system, with a SIL4 high speed train detection system.
Train Detection System – Rail
Traditional train detection systems commonly used across Australia and offshore typically rely on mains power, or large scale solar huts, and require extensive cabling and trenching, on either side of the level crossing, up to 1 kilometre or more. Installation and maintenance of this solution is expensive when used in rural and regional locations within Australia.
The Rail Safety System solution is wireless, self-powered and incorporates high degrees of redundancy. The wireless capability eliminates the need for trackside cabling, which in turn lowers the installation costs and ongoing power costs.
The Rail Safety System solution has demonstrated a capability to detect all classes of rail vehicles, including hi-rail.
This solution has been developed in collaboration with Queensland Rail and has proven an effective technology.
Recent Projects
RAXS has been successfully deployed at 2 level crossings in Queensland, for over 3 years. The prototypes have provided significant learnings, including human factors review. RAXS offers significant differentiation and value compared to conventional active or passive level crossing warning systems. Following detailed Type Approval evaluation and safety assessment, RAXS 2.0 has been recommended for Preliminary Type Approval.
Advantages
The RAXS signage sub-system and train detection system is particularly suited to regional rail level crossings, with the operating system also offering broad application to a variety of related safety solutions. RAXS has a number of advantages over traditional active rail crossing systems.
Autonomous
Fail-to-Safe
Civil Works Needed
No Trenching Needed
Self-Contained Power Source
Installation & Commissioning
RAXS
Yes
Yes
Minimal
Yes
Yes (Solar)
1 week
Traditional Active Crossing Systems
No
No
Major
No
No
Up to 10 weeks
RAXS offer a cost effective option to treat many of the estimated 64% of rail level crossings that are passive, where the need for safer active protection has to date been cost prohibitive.
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