At railroad crossings, different modes of transportation intersect, making clear rules essential for the safety of everyone involved. Rail vehicles always have the right of way, as indicated by the St. Andrew’s cross. Depending on traffic volume, different safety measures are employed. Level crossings without technical safety systems rely on visibility, reduced speeds for both rail and road traffic, as well as acoustic signals from trains. However, the latter cause significant noise pollution and reduce public acceptance. Conventional technical safety systems are often not considered due to high costs.

Im ATTRACTIVE a new cost-effective technological approach was developed to investigate the effectiveness of additional technical support at unguarded railroad crossings. The goal is to specifically direct the attention of road users toward the railroad crossing when a train approaches and to visually reinforce the legal right-of-way rules. At the heart of the approach is a mobile traffic light located in front of the railroad crossing, which is automatically activated by a transponder triggered by the train. The technical feasibility was successfully demonstrated in collaboration with project partners in Traundorf (municipality of Siegsdorf) on the Traunstein–Ruhpolding line.