The severity and consequences of collisions at railway crossings is massive. Such accidents happen due to a violation of rules by pedestrians and vehicle movers, even at manned railway crossings. It is observed that the stop sign at crossings or the red signals is also not successful in making these accident prone crossings safe. Factors that influence the probability of accident occurrence at railway crossings are:
- Rail traffic density
- The presence of physical obstructions which might restrict the visibility of the warning signs or signals.
- Gaps in crossing due to absence of full-width barriers
- The absence of audible warning devices and flashing signs at railway crossings.
- Poor alignment and elevation of the road at railway crossing
- Poor road conditions at railway crossing
The high rate of violations at passively controlled railway crossings concludes that there need to be serious upgradations in the safety systems and practices at railway crossings and Boom barrier gate is an effective solution to ensure proper safety at these railway crossings.
Boom barrier or boom barrier gate is of two types, i.e., manually operated boom barrier and automatic boom barrier. A manually operated boom barrier gate is mainly installed where there is limited use and was used in the earlier times when technology was not as evolved as it is these days. Nowadays, all the manual boom barriers are being replaced by automatic boom barriers.
An automated barrier has multiple functions, which includes obviously a physical barrier to dissuade motorists from entering the crossing while a train is incoming, a crossing warning signal, a train approach warning indicator and a crossing failure indicator warning whilst mechanical or electrical failure of railway crossing equipment.
There are various technologies prevailing for an automatic boom barrier. The most frequently used technology is electro-mechanical technology due to its reliability. A specialty of an electro-mechanical device is that it can run continuously without generating heat, hence electro-mechanical boom barriers can function continuously in an intensive duty cycle. As the name says, if the Automatic Bollards The features of a fully automated boom barrier are as follow: is fully automated there is no need of manual supervision. The use of sensors can accurately measure the speed and timing of the inbound train and hence function without any manual supervision. A periodic supervision of the sensors is although mandatory to ensure proper functioning of the automated boom barrier. Some of the automatic boom barriers have secondary warning systems installed as a part of the package. This warning system consists of a siren to warn people of the approaching train.
- Automatic Controls
- Robust steel constructions
- Stainless steel barrier housing
- Built for various size types
- Day and night operation viability
- Designed for continuous use
- Special customized versions
- Adaptable to strict security requirements
A typical boom barrier price starts from approximately Rs. 1,00,000 and vary depending upon the size, technology used and the purpose built for.
