A growing number of Japanese railway operators are introducing artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems to help prevent accidents involving trains at level crossings.
The technology can automatically detect and report abnormalities, such as stalled vehicles or people trapped on the tracks, enabling train drivers and other railway staff to respond more quickly. Industry officials view AI as an effective tool for improving crossing safety, while the government has started offering financial support to encourage wider adoption.
Kintetsu Railway, based in the city of Osaka, has tested an AI-equipped camera system at a crossing on the Kyoto Line in the town of Seika, Kyoto Prefecture.
In video footage from the test, an elliptical marker appears around people as they cross the tracks. A blue outline indicates that the AI-powered detection system has identified pedestrians on the crossing.
In one instance, the crossing gates came down before an older-looking pedestrian, who appeared to be dragging one foot, was able to leave the crossing. The person was left inside the gates and unable to pass underneath them.
When the system detected imminent danger, the marker changed to reddish purple. The individual eventually escaped with help from people nearby, but the ellipse remained reddish purple for the several seconds the pedestrian was still inside the crossing.
Full-scale operation of the system began at the crossing in May. When the marker turns reddish purple, the emergency notification button is activated automatically, alerting nearby trains and relevant railway departments to the abnormality.
For about a year from April last year, Kintetsu Railway conducted demonstration tests at two locations, including the Seika crossing, to assess the AI-based system’s detection capabilities. A detailed review of about 80 days of data found seven cases in which people temporarily remained inside a crossing or were unable to get out immediately. “The accumulation of such dangerous situations could lead to a serious accident,” a company official said. “We hope the system will help eliminate even a single case of hazard.”
AI-supported detection systems are also being tested for improving vehicle user safety at railway crossings.
Nagoya Railroad, based in Nagoya, has introduced such a system at about 50 crossings. The company is also researching technology to prevent vehicles from entering crossings when nearby roads are congested. As part of the effort, it conducted a demonstration experiment for about two months from last December at a crossing on the Kowa Line in Handa, Aichi Prefecture.
The experiment used ETC 2.0, a next-generation electronic toll collection system used on expressways and other roads. When an ETC 2.0-equipped vehicle approached the crossing during traffic congestion, an AI detection device installed beside the crossing triggered an automated voice message from the vehicle’s onboard...