Another serious accident

Dangerous GKB crossings: wait and hope

On Monday, a car was once again hit by a GKB train at an unrestricted level crossing in Graz-Straßgang.

(Bild: BF Graz)

Terrifying images, fortunately only three minor injuries - this is the result of the latest accident at a GKB railroad crossing in Graz. The problem has always been known, but solutions are still a long time coming.

A car driver overlooked the red light at the level crossing at Jägergrund in Straßgang on Monday. The collision with an S-Bahn train set was violent, the vehicle was flung away and pressed against a pole. In addition to the driver, two passengers on the train were injured.

Fatalities and injuries: the series continues
The incident is part of a black series: as recently as June, three people were injured in a similar accident on Hafnerstraße less than two kilometers away. In Seiersberg-Pirka, there have been fatal accidents at GKB crossings in the past two years, one woman and one man died. There is no barrier system there either. Three years ago, an 85-year-old man died in Graz when his senior citizen's vehicle collided with a GKB passenger train; he had also overlooked the red light.

Electrification brings light at the end of the tunnel
There are twelve GKB crossings in the city of Graz. All of them are to be made safer - but according to current plans, this will take until the end of the current electrification of the entire line in 2031. Five new underpasses are to be built in Graz, the first in Peter-Rosegger-Straße. "Planning is also underway for Wetzelsdorfer Strasse and Kärntner Strasse," confirms the office of Deputy Governor Anton Lang (SPÖ). According to ÖBB, six danger points will be mitigated with barriers by 2028, and the crossing in Straßganger Bahnhofstraße will become a cycle underpass.

Conversion of the GKB crossings:

• Underpasses by 2031: Reininghausstraße, Wetzelsdorfer Straße, Peter-Rosegger-Straße, Kärntner Straße, Gradnerstraße
• Barrier systems until 2028: Grottenhofstraße, Harter Straße, Grillweg, Trattfelderstraße, Schwarzer Weg, Hafnerstraße
• Unterer Mühlweg railroad crossing to be abandoned and replaced by a cycle underpass

It's not just the financing that's a problem - after all, around half a million euros is estimated for the conversion of a single junction. Every single barrier has to be fought for, as this increases the waiting times for car traffic compared to a traffic light system, in some cases considerably. And from a purely structural point of view, it is a completely different challenge to start work in a densely built-up residential area - and in some cases with two tracks, as planned for a 1.2-kilometer section in Graz-Wetzelsdorf - than on the proverbial greenfield site, ÖBB spokeswoman Rosanna Zernatto-Peschel points out.

According to spokeswoman Zernatto-Peschel, ÖBB is relying not only on large-scale conversion measures but also on information campaigns for car drivers.

(Bild: ÖBB)

The Federal Railways, which took over the infrastructure of the Graz-Köflach line this year, are now responsible for the GKB crossings. And thus the problems. "The best railroad crossing is the one that doesn't exist," says Zernatto-Peschel. As part of the modernization work in southern Styria, as many level crossings as possible are being removed - i.e. defused with underpasses or overpasses or eliminated altogether.

Unfortunately, pictures like this one in Graz-Straßgang on Monday are not uncommon.

(Bild: BF Graz)

Half as many level crossings as in the year 2000
A look at the bigger picture shows that there has been some movement in this area: since 2000, the number of level crossings throughout Austria has been more than halved from over 6,000 to around 2,900. In Graz, of course, abandonment without replacement is not an option. There it is a case of waiting and hoping that there will be as few crashes as possible until the conversion and safety work is completed.