LSM Technologies’ newest innovation looks set to revolutionise safety, incident prevention and efficiency around rail level crossings. Rail Express sat down with the company’s founder and CEO to learn more about what is a transformative device.
Over the course of close to two decades, LSM Technologies has become a highly sought after provider of technologies concerning workplace OH&S, productivity and minimising down time.
Peter Woodford is the engineering director, CEO and founder, with experience in the mining, earthmoving, construction, manufacturing, heavy road transport and now rail sectors.
With his specialised engineering expertise and thorough industry knowledge, he’s set out to design devices that can make a lasting impact within industry workplaces.
Woodford is previously quoted as saying, “I have learnt a lot in my life so far – but then I find that there is so much more still to learn and therefore so much more to share”.
It’s this belief that has led to one of his latest innovations, a device that could create a national unity towards increasing the safety of both road and rail called LSM TrainSense.
What is TrainSense?
LSM Technologies’ TrainSense Rail Level Crossing Collision Awareness/Avoidance System aims to directly address a well-known issue. That is the alarming trends around level crossing vehicular collision incidents.
The TrainSense concept is a safety mitigation device that would be best described as a small puck in terms of its visual appearance.
While its appearance may be understated, this small device has the potential to transform level crossing safety.
Level crossing safety is an issue that has been a subject of discussion for years and while there have been developments from a policy and equipment standpoint, traditional technologies leave much to be desired Woodford explained.
“It’s an issue that costs the sector hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said. “This isn’t just an Australian issue. In the US, Canada and Europe it’s also a big deal.”
A key catalyst for many of these incidents is what Woodford labels as ‘human behavioural issues’.
“There’s plenty of articles out there that talk about road users breaching passive warning signs, taking potluck, ignoring active alerts or going through the boom gates,” Woodford said.
“In the Rail Level Crossing, Rail Bridge Impact discussion paper I released, there’s a big focus on how we could overcome, or work around, human behaviour and error. That’s where TrainSense comes in.”
TrainSense aims to reduce the impacts of human behaviour and error that may lead to road and rail vehicle interactions, such as complacency, situation awareness and distractions.
The concept is that inside TrainSense is a database of all mapped railway level crossing GPS co-ordinates. Once the users vehicle is moving, the device is dynamically comparing real-time GPS data, between the location of the vehicle and the coordinates of nearby level crossings.
If the user approaches a level crossing, TrainSense will provide an audible and visual warning to the driver inside the vehicle cabin.
This happens in real time and the user doesn’t need to pre-route or update coordinates during their journey. As such the TrainSense is a relatively cheaper, simpler and more accurate tool that can compliment conventional warning devices.
It’s also customisable, with options around the frequency and distance at which alerts are provided to the driver. The device is simple to attach and can be installed on the corner of the windscreen.
Increased automation
TrainSense is also compatible with automated technologies to increase its effectiveness in high-risk situations. The device can be programmed to decelerate and apply the brake to mitigate an interaction if the driver ignores multiple device warnings. This feature encompasses the potential to apply Automatic Emergency Braking with compatible vehicles if required so as to bring them to a stop at a level crossing.
All this and more is provided at no extra cost, as well as no subscription or telematics related charges.
As Woodford explained, industry support is already there, but further support is needed to ensure that public can reap the rewards of such a beneficial system.
“TrainSense merits have already been supported by Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia, as well as TrackSafe.
“The product should be looked at and the conversation around it needs to move forward,” he said.
“It’s a low-cost solution that’s all about providing mitigation and a strategy to overcome human error and behaviour and to mitigate collisions. It’s a new technology, it meets all the criteria of the 2024- National Rail Level Crossing Strategic Plan and eventually I’d hope to see it become a standard feature such as Automatic Emergency Braking is today with the ADR97/00 and ADR108/00.”
LSM TrainSense is also compatible for use with LSM BridgeSense, another patent-pending device from the minds of LSM Technologies. As the name suggests, BridgeSense utilises similar technology to that of TrainSense to help reduce the frequency and chance of bridge and structure impacts occurring with over- height vehicles and loads.
When paired together, the two can form a singular safety mitigation device.
In order for the transport network to fully benefit, Woodford envisages a reality where all road vehicles are equipped at manufacture with devices such as TrainSense and BridgeSense, reducing the chances of level crossing and bridge impact incidents.
To achieve this, Woodford is seeking more support from both the public and private sectors to drive growth around what could be a transformative device.
“I’m optimistic that we’re going to save lives, that we’re going to save the taxpayer and industry a lot of money in repairs, while also reducing inconvenience and costs connected to traffic congestion,” Woodford said.
“The LSM TrainSense and BridgeSense concepts are really no-brainers and a conversation of the potential for real life application needs to be investigated
further.”
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