Increasing Safety at Level Crossings: Hazards Identification and Risk Assessment to Optimize Preventive Actions Implementation

From the continuous improvement of rail safety performances and, specifically, for supporting the identification of the most effective measures to prevent accidents, the focus is on the level crossings, largely representing the most safety critical elements of the railway network. The paper setups an effective methodology for ranking the level crossings in view of optimizing the implementation of actions capable to reduce the risks at intersections between rail and road. The methodology acts as a strategic tool for the maximization of the effectiveness of investments for level-crossing safety improvement. The proposed approach is basing on risk analysis methods, focused on significant variables for typical hazards, customized for the level crossings' operation. The proposed method allows determining an upgradable ranking process, which qualifies and sorts single level crossings, according to typical hazards, addressing affordable times and modes for their mitigation.