Six new digital railway crossing signs are now live, helping reduce travel delays for drivers in the City of Langley, Township of Langley and Surrey.
The Railway Crossing Information System (RCIS) will keep drivers informed with real-time train crossing information, allowing them to choose the quickest route.
The RCIS operates by detecting trains approaching railway crossings, recording their presence, direction and speed. This information is sent to the central control system, which calculates the train direction and approximate arrival time at each crossing. Each sign displays the status of nearby railway crossings – open or closed – allowing drivers to make informed decisions to use nearby rail overpasses or local street networks. The signs also increase travel time efficiency and reliability for emergency responders.
RCIS is the latest intelligent transportation system installed in the Lower Mainland to help reduce traffic congestion and lower greenhouse gas emissions, with fewer vehicles idling at blocked rail crossings.
The signs complement the railway overpasses constructed in the Langley and Surrey area along the Roberts Bank rail corridor that were built to improve traffic flow, while enhancing trade with the Asia-Pacific region. The signs increase community liveability by mitigating the traffic impacts from increased goods movement along the Roberts Bank rail corridor, which has as many as 22 train crossings per day.
The RCIS is a pilot project integrating train detection and intelligent transportation systems. It was developed specifically for the unique road and rail network in Surrey and Langley.
The project is jointly funded by the Government of B.C., Transport Canada and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority — each providing $300,000 — in addition to $2.9 million from TransLink, for a total project cost of $3.8 million. It is the final component in the $307-million Roberts Bank Rail Corridor Program completed in 2015.