Skip to main content

Safer rail crossings with ESA satellites

Germany-headquartered Berner and Mattner is to carry out a feasibility study, SafeRail - Improving Safety at Railway Level Crossings, on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA). The objective of the study, which is to be carried out within ESA’s Integrated Applications Promotion Program, is to determine the technical feasibility and economic viability of a space-based service using an integrated solution which employs different types of space assets in combination with already existing terrestrial techno
March 21, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Germany-headquartered Berner and Mattner is to carry out a feasibility study, SafeRail - Improving Safety at Railway Level Crossings, on behalf of 6780 The European Space Agency (ESA).  

The objective of the study, which is to be carried out within ESA’s Integrated Applications Promotion Program, is to determine the technical feasibility and economic viability of a space-based service using an integrated solution which employs different types of space assets in combination with already existing terrestrial technologies.

Technical methods to be considered range from determining railroad vehicles’ position using relative measurements carried out by the railroad company and by satellite navigation to redundant terrestrial and satellite communication and integrated traffic information systems that provide the driver with suitable information.

The potential risk of railway level crossings as an intersection of two different traffic modes is very high. A quarter of all railroad fatalities are caused by accidents at railway level crossings. Due to the high variety of existing technical safety systems, efficient modernisation of the current systems is difficult.

Support agreements with several relevant European users and stakeholders have been established during preparation of the study. The results of the study will be presented to the user community during an awareness event.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • EU project to make urban freight management more sustainable
    February 1, 2012
    Urban freight policies are becoming more common in European cities and regions. However, it is still difficult to evaluate and transfer the knowledge gained from the different city logistics measures implemented by local authorities. The SUGAR project aims to tackle this by establishing a systematic approach towards best practices identification and assessment, and by developing urban freight plans and actions.
  • Data exploits parking potential
    March 11, 2015
    David Crawford parallel parks with innovations in two continents. Surveys of US cities indicate that drivers searching for parking can account for up to 37% of all urban traffic congestion. A 2011 study by IBM of 20 cities around the world found that nearly six out of ten drivers had abandoned their search for a parking space at least once; while motorists generally spent on average 20 minutes looking for a sought-after spot.
  • Embedded connectivity delivers real time travel information
    February 3, 2012
    Ton Brand describes the GSM Association's Embedded mTelematics programme. As the world's roads become increasingly crowded, consumers and businesses are demanding better real-time information to help them both avoid traffic congestion and make smarter use of public transport. Embedding mobile connectivity directly into vehicles can enable drivers and passengers to see live traffic flows in their localities, as well as the expected arrival time of the next bus, ferry or tram
  • ITS America publishes connected vehicle guidance
    April 22, 2015
    Guidance on the likely impact of multipath communications on connected vehicle development has been published by ITS America. ITS America’s Connected Vehicle Technical Insight looks at the challenges and opportunities wireless interoperability could provide in vehicle applications. In particular the 22-page document examines the processes by which data can be transferred from one vehicle to another (V2V), or between a vehicle and the infrastructure (V2I).