New alarm signal for Belgium's railway crossings

The country’s railway crossings are to be equipped with a new alarm signal that will replace the existing loud bell, rail infrastructure company Infrabel has announced.

The new signal is a pulsing electronic tone, which research in Canada has shown has more of an effect on pedestrians than the continuous sound of the school-bell type in use now, according to Infrabel spokesperson Frederic Petit. The new sound should improve pedestrian safety, Petit said.

Infrabel’s goal is to reduce the number of accidents at crossings, which in the first six months of this year came to 25, including five fatalities.

An additional advantage of the new alarm, said Petit, is that it is less of a disturbance for people living in the vicinity of the crossing. The school-bell sound can be heard within a radius of tens of metres; the new signal is more directed towards motorists and pedestrians using the crossing. The equipment is also more durable and requires less maintenance.

Infrabel plans to replace the signals at 1,600 crossings between now and the end of 2015, at a cost of €3 million. The announcement of the alarm was the start of a new campaign by Infrabel and the road safety institute BIVV, fronted by rock singer Arno, with the slogan: “The noise that could save your life. If you hear it, you must stop.”

The new signal can be heard on the campaign website.

photo courtesy Het Nieuwsblad