Even though much can be done to secure the railway, train operators also have a responsibility to avoid accidents. Trains can rarely brake in time, but with the right technology, they can identify obstacles on the tracks and warn both people and animals. The train’s horn or tyfon is the usual method to warn people – but it has only limited effect on animals. We are studying how animals can be made aware of and warned about approaching trains.

In this project, we study animals’ reactions to approaching trains and to the warning signals that train drivers can use to prevent collisions. Different sound signals are tested while the animals’ responses are recorded on video by our custom-made camera unit DASS (Driver Activated Scare System).

 

Collided fallow deer on the Kinnekulle line, photographed by the DASS unit from the train driver’s cab.

Photo: Mattias Olsson

 

 

 

Several train drivers from both Norway and Sweden are participating in the project and are filming animals on the tracks.

 

The DASS camera in the driver’s cabin on the Gjøvik Line, Norway.
Photo: Svein-Morten Eilertsen, NIBIO

 Resources for Train Drivers:

About the Subproject

In this project, we are testing how mobile wildlife deterrence can work on trains. This is done with the help of our self-developed camera and scare device ”DASS” (Driver Activated Scare System), which is mounted on the windshield in the driver’s cabin and activated by the train drivers. The DASS unit functions both as a camera that can retroactively save video after activation and as a playback device for selected warning sounds to be tested. We can then study the animals’ reactions to both the train and the sounds on video. When we observe that the warning sounds effectively reduce accident risk, the DASS technology can be simplified and streamlined for commercial development. The project’s results are intended to support technical consultants and innovators in developing effective commercial products.

Train drivers participating in the project report videos and observations according to a set procedure. The videos are stored in Capture, a new platform by Trafikverket and SLU for managing images and videos in wildlife research.

We are focusing in the first phase on slower-moving trains (regional and freight trains) on routes with a high frequency of animal collisions (e.g., Røros Line, Dovre Line, Nordland Line, Iron Ore Line, Kinnekulle Line).

Documents

    • Maps of current railway lines in the study

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