Grade Crossing Warning Systems

Operators responsible for grade crossings often face conflicting priorities – meeting stringent availability and safety requirements while managing budgetary constraints.

Environmental factors and changing track and ballast conditions can negatively impact the performance of track circuits typically used to control grade crossings. Track circuits also require frequent adjustments and maintenance to ensure safe operation.

Challenges with conventional train detection technology

Shunting issues

Challenges

Common environmental factors such as snow, road salt and water, and track conditions such as leaf and debris accumulation, can lead to false activation of crossings causing traffic flow and safety issues. Loss of shunt and false activations can also occur in remote areas and sidings, or on any track that goes a few days without a train traversing. Frequent testing and adjustments to equipment are required to prevent and alleviate these issues, increasing maintenance costs and worker time on track.

Frauscher Benefits

Safety

Safety is compromised when automobile drivers and pedestrians become impatient with gates that go down too frequently or stay down too long. By increasing uptime with our axle counting systems, gate function is more reliable and predictable, reducing the temptation for people to drive or walk around them. Significantly reduced installation time and maintenance requirements means railroad personnel spend less time on track, increasing safety.

Remote and preventative maintenance

The preventative maintenance requirement for Frauscher axle counters is just once in two years. This maintenance involves a simple visual and operational inspection of the system, taking just minutes per wheel sensor. The Frauscher Diagnostic System FDS and Remote Monitoring Display RMD provide remote access to system operation and predictive maintenance information from all outdoor equipment locations of grade crossings. This remote access capability allows the operator to troubleshoot the system from their operations center. Preventive and targeted maintenance can then be performed, often remotely, minimizing time spent on track for periodic resets and maintenance.

High availability under adverse environmental and track conditions

Frauscher axle counters are immune to the effects of harsh environmental influences such as snow, ice and flooding, including complete underwater submersion of the wheel sensor. They also perform reliably and maintain high uptime regardless of track and ballast condition, and are highly resistant to leaf accumulation, road salt and debris that commonly have negative effects on the performance of conventional signaling systems.

Frequency management - consecutive grade crossings

Challenges

The presence of consecutive grade crossings on a section of track, especially in urban areas, requires a complex warning system design when using conventional signaling systems. The required additional on-track equipment and more sophisticated design significantly increase maintenance requirements and installation costs.

Frauscher Benefits

Easily adapts to all track layouts

Crossings with complicated island and approach track layouts are easy to handle using Frauscher axle counters. Advanced preemption can be achieved with ease using the existing signaling equipment. It can be implemented without changes to the track structure, even in the case of consecutive grade crossings in urban areas.

 

Advanced preemption challenges

Challenges

Since advanced preemption requires longer approach sections, the maximum track section length restrictions that apply to track circuits are limiting. It is challenging and often impossible to extend existing track circuits to allow advanced preemption.

Frauscher Benefits

Easily adapts to all track layouts

Crossings with complicated island and approach track layouts are easy to handle using Frauscher axle counters. Advanced preemption can be achieved with ease using the existing signaling equipment. It can be implemented without changes to the track structure, even in the case of consecutive grade crossings in urban areas.

Solution–Reliable traffic signal preemption
Traffic signal preemption with Frauscher axle counting systems provides increased safety with minimal impact on traffic. Learn more about how this grade crossing option is implemented, and the advantages it offers. 

Mixed rail traffic and low traffic areas

Challenges

With electronic components mounted directly onto the track, common grade crossing warning systems may experience shunting issues at crossings that are shared by mixed modes of rail traffic such as freight and passenger. Issues may also occur on tracks that experience low rail traffic volume, as conventional signaling relies on regular traversing cycles for proper functioning.

Frauscher Benefits

Infrequent and mixed rail traffic

Frauscher axle counting systems do not depend on regular traversing cycles for proper operation. Shunting issues are not a concern due to the inductive principle of our wheel sensors. Even in remote areas where rails may become rusty due to infrequent passage of trains, wheel detection with an axle counting system will remain reliable and crossings will continue to function safely.

Since no active electronic components are mounted to the track, Frauscher axle counting systems ensure reliable wheel detection and safe grade crossing operation for all types and frequency of train traffic. This includes mixed rail traffic, such as tracks shared by freight and passenger trains.

Loss of shunt allowances

Challenges

Loss of shunt toward the end of a train may cause pumping of the crossing gate arms when the train leaves the island section. This situation requires an extended timing allowance to account for the loss of shunt, delaying the clearing of crossings and disrupting road traffic flow.

Frauscher Benefits

No loss of shunt timers required

There is no requirement for loss of shunt timers with Frauscher axle counting systems; therefore, crossings are released faster upon clearing of the island section. Shorter gate closures help maintain consistent traffic flow.

Complicated island layouts

Challenges

Designing grade crossing warning systems in areas with multiple turnouts and spurs across the island can be complicated using track circuits. Space constraints can cause difficulties when wiring track circuits over switches.

Frauscher Benefits

Easily adapts to all track layouts

Crossings with complicated island and approach track layouts are easy to handle using Frauscher axle counters. Advanced preemption can be easily achieved with existing equipment without any changes to the track structure, even for consecutive grade crossings in urban areas.

Future electrification

Challenges

Conventional grade crossings warning systems are incompatible with AC or DC traction systems.

Frauscher Benefits

Future proof for electrification

Frauscher axle counters are electromagnetically compatible with most AC and DC traction systems. If electrification of your line occurs in the future or continuously welded rail is installed, a Frauscher system will continue to detect trains to protect crossings without change or interruption.

Costly installation and maintenance requirements

Challenges

Track circuit systems are expensive and complicated to install, with frequent and costly maintenance required to keep them running safely. In addition to being costly for the operator, these activities increase grade crossing downtime and worker time on track.

Frauscher Benefits

Quick and easy installation, calibration

The ease and speed of installation and remote calibration features offer flexibility and savings for the operator. Using a Frauscher rail claw, each sensor is simply clamped to the rail in just five minutes. No drilling of the rail or changes to existing track structure are required. Sensors can be calibrated from the trackside enclosure.

Safety

Safety is compromised when automobile drivers and pedestrians become impatient with gates that go down too frequently or stay down too long. By increasing uptime with our axle counting systems, gate function is more reliable and predictable, reducing the temptation for people to drive or walk around them. Significantly reduced installation time and maintenance requirements means railroad personnel spend less time on track, also increasing safety.

Remote and preventative maintenance

The preventative maintenance requirement for Frauscher axle counters is just once in two years. This maintenance involves a simple visual and operational inspection of the system, taking just minutes per wheel sensor. The Frauscher Diagnostic System FDS and Remote Monitoring Display RMD provide remote access to system operation and predictive maintenance information from all outdoor equipment locations of grade crossings. This remote access capability allows the operator to troubleshoot the system from their operations center. Preventive and targeted maintenance can then be performed, often remotely, minimizing time spent on track for periodic resets and maintenance.

Low life cycle and maintenance costs

Frauscher axle counters and wheel sensors ensure low maintenance and overall life cycle costs. Due to the robust nature of our sensors, maintenance requirements are minimal. There are no insulated rail joints or wire bonds to maintain, reducing costs and track time for maintenance workers. Logistical issues related to closing a grade crossing to perform routine or emergency maintenance are also reduced.

Solution

Frauscher axle counters and wheel sensors provide a wide range of wheel detection solutions for grade crossing warning systems that ensure safety and high availability. Our waterproof (IP68 rated) wheel sensors are highly reliable, and do not experience common shunting issues that occur with track circuits. In addition, no modifications to the existing track structure are required for installation. Frauscher systems interface in a vital manner to any existing crossing controller, via discrete I/O or Ethernet.

A key advantage for operators using Frauscher axle counting systems is the recommended preventative maintenance cycle of once in two years. Advanced tools such as the Frauscher Diagnostic System FDS support remote diagnostics and data logging for further ease of maintenance. The remote diagnostic capability can reduce overall maintenance and life cycle costs, and time on track for personnel.

The Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC can either fully replace track circuits, or function as an overlay to the existing track circuits to enhance safety at grade crossings.

Frauscher provides a safe and cost-effective alternative for track vacancy detection at grade crossings with our fail-safe axle counting systems. Frauscher wheel sensors and axle counters offer unparalleled performance in terms of safety, reliability, and reduced maintenance.

Grade crossing options using axle counters

Option 1

Traffic Signal Preemption

Traffic signal preemption is an important function of gated crossings. The normal sequence of operation is bypassed by a programmed alternate sequence, ensuring the road traffic is cleared from the tracks prior to the train’s arrival. Timing of preemption must guarantee the tracks are safely cleared in time, but with the goal of stopping traffic for the shortest interval possible to maintain efficient traffic flow. Traffic signal preemption with Frauscher axle counting systems provides increased safety with minimal impact on traffic.