Harsh criticism of the railway crossings • Few have been fixed despite the government’s call
Despite the government urging the Swedish Transport Administration to increase safety at the country’s railway crossings, only a few hundred have been fixed. Now criticism is directed at the Swedish Transport Administration.
Locomotive driver Henrik Persson was recently involved in an accident at a level crossing.
– It is important that something is done. Accidents like this should not have to happen, says Henrik Persson.
A few weeks ago, an incident occurred at a level crossing, where a road and railway or tramway cross on the same level, just outside Östersund. An A-tractor got stuck on the track and the train driver Henrik Persson was going 120 kilometers an hour.
– I didn’t even have a chance to stop even though I pulled the emergency brake, says Henrik Persson.
The crash was violent but luckily the driver and passengers had gotten out of the vehicle before the impact.
In January this year, an accident occurred at a level crossing outside Uddevalla. A truck stopped on the track and the train did not have time to stop. The locomotive driver, a 65-year-old man, died in the accident.
“Obsolete”
Criticism is now directed at the fact that safety is not sufficient at level crossings.
– Passages like this over the railway tracks are outdated and not compatible with the zero vision that exists today. More resources must be allocated to increase safety, says Tony Gunnarsson, expert on road safety at Riksförbundet M Sweden.
Despite the fact that the government already in 2019 tasked the Swedish Transport Administration with increasing safety at this type of transitions, only a couple of hundred have been fixed. This means that there are still thousands of railway crossings with safety deficiencies that have not been addressed.
– We really prioritize the issue and work as quickly as we can to increase safety at level crossings, but it is a time-consuming process where, among other things, we need dialogue with landowners, says Bengt Olsson, press manager at the Swedish Transport Administration.
But Tony Gunnarsson doesn’t think that’s enough.
– It goes much too slowly. At the current rate, it will take 200 years before the safety deficiencies are remedied, says Tony Gunnarsson.