Opportunities with Modular Systems in Level Crossings : A Case Study in the Swedish Railway Industry

Sammanfattning: Level crossings are a dangerous part of railways, causing several deaths every year. While the safest solution is to remove crossings altogether using bridges or tunnels, this is complicated and cannot be done on a large scale. Many level crossings will therefore continue to exist. To enhance the safety of those crossings, they are equipped with automatic barriers, preventing crossing traffic from entering the track when trains are approaching. Partly due to outdated systems, the Swedish Transport Administration procured a fully integrated and automatic level crossing system aimed to make safety systems more cost efficient. However, it has been stated that the cost of such a system is still high in relation to the number of crossings in the Swedish railway infrastructure. To enhance the scalability of safety systems in level crossings, this research aims to explore the potential of modular systems. Applications of the concept within the railway industry are limited. In addition, previous research perceives the power of modular designs differently. This research was conducted as a case study on level crossings in the Swedish railway infrastructure that is managed by the Swedish Transport Administration. Opportunities with modular systems were identified within the three themes of reducing groundwork costs, improving maintenanc eactivities, and enhancing the replaceability of parts. The study proposes that scalability can be increased by a standardised foundational structure, standardised communication protocols, convenient replacements of modules rather than repairs on-site, shared maintenance activities across systems, and customised testing procedures based on the individual requirements of modules. Different conditions, such as being able to oversee the state of inherent modules and regulations regarding data usage, were also determined to be important for a successful implementation.