Over the past few years, the company Infraestruturas de Portugal (REFER between 1997 and 2015) «has invested heavily in improving and strengthening the safety conditions of crossings and proceeding to the suppression of hundreds of Level Crossings», stresses IP in a note to press.
The information is released today, June 11, International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD).
At the beginning of 2000, the total number of PN in the Railway Network was 2494, and in 2010 this figure was reduced to less than half (1107 PN), currently totaling 833.
The policy of suppression and improvement of safety conditions in PNs, promoted by Infraestruturas de Portugal, has "strongly contributed to the reduction of accidents", adds the company.
“This is an ongoing work that requires the combined commitment of the various interested entities, namely the municipalities in the territories where the PNs are located”, explains IP.
This work has been reflected in the number of accidents occurring at level crossings across the country. Comparing with the records from the end of 1999, in which, in that year, the total number of accidents in PN was 154, the figures for 2019 (32) represent a reduction of about 80% of the total number of accidents.
Despite the positive numbers already achieved, IP guarantees that “it is important to continue to improve Security”. With this objective in mind, targets have already been drawn up and interventions have been programmed to reinforce safety conditions when crossing PNs.
These are “investments that are already being developed, within the scope of the Ferrovia2020 Programme, and future ones, to be carried out under the National Investment Program – PNI2030”.
Altogether, the total amount to be invested in the coming years in Security interventions will amount to more than 230 million euros.
The evocation of the International Day for Safety at Level Crossings has as its main objective to sensitize all users of Level Crossings, pedestrians and motorists, to the need to comply with established safety rules and adopt safe behavior when crossing the railway. .
This is the 12th edition of this event promoted globally by the UIC – International Union of Railways, which involves several international entities in the railway and road sectors, public administration, associations and NGOs, which, since its first edition in 2009, , IP (at REFER date) has always been associated and contributed to the dissemination.
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