201607 – Pfister – Swiss Army Knife vs KISS: How to Optimise a Level Crossing?

Assuming you get the job to implement or update a new level crossing: You will be confronted with lots of stakeholders, influencers and legislative guidelines. The national regulator is giving you a certain framework. Investors, be it the railway operator or the infrastructure owner usually limit your ambitions in terms of money. There is only a limited budget available and it needs to be spent wisely. In contrast, other stakeholders such as end users or neighbours, living next to a crossing, usually tell you exactly how things should work – or more often – how they shouldn’t.

This document addresses general areas of conflict. Furthermore, it shows how national regulator, infrastructure owner or operator can influence the value for money proposition to achieve improved cost structures or whole of life costs as well what suppliers can do in order to ensure lower cost and safe level crossings. The paper highlights cost savings due to better selected requirements and provides a simple example.