According to a report by Aftonbladet, the Swedish Transport Administration is missing its goal of securing the most dangerous level crossings. The Swedish Transport Administration's goal to address 150 of the most dangerous unprotected level crossings by 2025 has not been achieved. Since 2019, the Swedish Transport Administration has been working on a government mandate to systematically increase safety at level crossings where there is a risk of collisions between trains and other vehicles or pedestrians.
There are about 6,000 level crossings in Sweden, and approximately half are unprotected, meaning without barriers or audio and light signals. In 2019, 184 level crossings were listed as having an increased accident risk, with 150 of them to be addressed by 2025, but only 106 have been addressed so far. The specific measures being taken to address the remaining 44 priority level crossings by 2025 have not been detailed.
We have come a long way, but we are not finished.
' She added, 'It is often complex and takes time. ' Rådbo cannot specify a year when all crossings on the priority list can be addressed. She explained, 'The Swedish Transport Administration does not control everything and not everything can be solved with money,' noting that it is not primarily a money issue but depends on the work being so complex.
On average, five people are killed per year in such crossings, despite major investments. Despite the investments being made, there is no clear trend in the statistics on the number of fatal accidents at level crossings. Why there has been no clear trend in fatal accident statistics despite the safety investments remains unclear.
It is often complex and takes time. It is planning, land issues, procurement, and cooperation with municipalities that make it take longer.
Fatal accidents occur in both protected and unprotected level crossings, and not all accidents can be explained by how the crossings are designed. ' In addition to work on the priority list crossings, the Swedish Transport Administration has also worked to improve visibility at about 500 unprotected level crossings since 2019. The timeline for completing the improvement of visibility at these 500 unprotected level crossings has not been specified.
The Swedish Transport Administration has come a long way but is not finished with securing level crossings, according to Rådbo. The work is often complex and time-consuming due to planning, land issues, procurement, and cooperation with municipalities.