Safety and Security
in the Railway Traffic Administration

On September 26, 2003, the Ministry of Transports, Constructions and Tourism and the National Romanian Railway Company "CFR" SA have organized the seminar on the theme Safety and Security in the Railway Traffic Administration. There have been invited to attend the representatives of MTCT, CFR SA, AND, ARR, Romanian Police and, by all means, the press, this seminar approaching the delicate issues related to the safety of the participants in the railway and also road, traffic.

The works have been opened by Mr. Traian Panait, the state secretary on transports issues within MTCT, which has presented the "theme of the day": "lately, within the Railways there took place a lot of accidents, ended with deceased, injured persons and material damages, so we proposed to discuss this phenomena. That is why, I would like that starting today to make an agreement between the Railways and the Road Sector, to see what should be done to reduce the number of accidents at the incidence of the road with the railway.
And I can say that it worried me a lot the fact that, in the last two years, a lot of accidents took place at the railway level crossings: in 2001, 37 accidents and 33 deceased persons, and in 2002 31 accidents took place and 50 people have died!
Unfortunately, all the accidents that have been recorded were caused by the lack of discipline of the car drivers. That is why, I resort to those from the National Roads, and to those from the Railways, to you, the press, and to the road police bodies to make all the efforts in order to diminish the accidents that occur at the level crossings with the railways.

The message of the minister of Transports, Constructions and Tourism: "Romania has made important steps on its way for integrating in the European Union. Taking into consideration that the current year there should be concluded the negotiations with EU regarding the chapter Policy in Transports, the adoption of the community acquis impose the increase of the standards with respect to the transport fleet, as well as with respect to the increase of the safety and security in transports on the railways. The increase of the volume of goods transiting Romania, on the railways, as well as on the road ways, and the amplification of the road transport activity have imposed the development and the implementation of a coordination system of the traffic allowing the efficient administration and in maximal safety conditions of all types of transport. That is why, the strategies promoted by the ministry that I am managing take into account the increase of the safety traffic in the railway transport, as well as in the road and air traffic. Concomitantly, there it is known the fact that, due to the modernization works that are in development stage on the section of the pan-European transport Corridor IV crossing Romania, the running speed of the train sets will be increased up to 160 km/h.
Once with the introduction of the motorcars, Siemens Desiro that operate under the name of Blue Arrow, we made a new step on our way for modernizing the transport on the railways from our country.
We should understand that all these achievements suppose the exploitation in maximal safety of the railways and, that is why, there it is imposed the extension at the national level of the automation of the traffic monitoring systems, in order to avoid in the future any undesired events.
There was not vainly statistically established that the transport on the railways is the safest type of transport. What I would like is that all those involved in the railway transport - the personnel of the Railways, passengers, the men in the street - to be aware as soon as possible of the fact that on the railways from Romania they can travel rapidly, comfortable, convenient and in complete safety conditions."

The last accident, which took place about two months ago, has been terrifying: an irresponsible person driving a pick-up Dacia where there were 14 people has defied those that were waiting at the level crossing with the railways and moved on in front of the train; only one person remained alive!
I resort to all the bodies in charge and mainly to the press, because they represent the "eyes" and the "ears" in everything that happens in this country, to help us in order to find out efficient methods to discipline the car drivers, in order to introduce other mechanisms on the railways and on the national roads in order to reduce these tragic road accidents."
After this direct introduction in the somber reality that the Railways experiences due to the accidents recorded, there have been invited to take the floor the representatives of the participating institutions. Among those taking the floor we remind here: Mr. Mihai Necolaiciuc, the general director, Mr. Ghorghe Popescu, the director of Equipment Department, Mr. Lucian Blaga, the central inspector, representatives of CFR SA, as well as Misters Cristi Andrei, from the Road Safety Unit within AND (National Road Administration), Claudiu Stroe, the representative of the Juridical Department from MTCT, and Victor Oprea, on behalf of the Road Police.
In the second part of the seminar, when the participants, on their turn, have exposed the point of view of the institutions they represent, took place a series of free discussions on themes proposed by the speakers, when the journalists have asked questions, have asked explanations and have tried to propose solutions.

Equipment for railway traffic administration in danger
The representative of the Equipment Department of CFR SA attending this manifestation has been Mr. Gheorghe Popescu, the director. He reviewed the national projects for the modernization of the equipment meant for the railway traffic administration.
Besides the rehabilitation works started off on the pan-European railway transport Corridors IV and IX, there are also in development and modernization stage the equipment from the respective railway sections. Therefore, at SCB equipment there are replaced the cables, track circuits, signals, electro-supply equipment, the automatic signaling equipment from the level crossing, as well as the electro-mechanisms from the switches that will allow increased speeds.
For those that are not initiated in the field of railway equipment, the director had also the kindness to make a short presentation of the railway signaling equipment used in our country. These have evolved from the mechanical equipment (SBB) that is very simple - because there was necessary, in an average station, a track officer and two pointsmen, the assurance of the switches being performed through simple mechanical locks and through an electro-mechanic system assuring the operation from the line where the train enters, ordered by the track officer -, to the electro-mechanic centralization (CEM), which mechanically centralizes the information through the wire transmissions and the shunting devices operated from the distance, from the pointsmen cabin. The system has evolved further more and has reached to the electro-dynamic centralization based on the relays (CED), in which case, from the central post, from the command panel, the track officer performs the shunting of the switches either in individual system, or automatic, and the electro-mechanism in the field electrically operates the switch. A last type is represented by the electronic centralization (CE), where the computers replace the relays.
Presently, as we have found out from Mr. Popescu, the director, the component elements in the field of these equipment are exposed to the wrongdoers' actions, which are tempted not only to steal them, but also, quite often, to destroy the equipment from the field. According to the sayings of the director: "If at the beginning they were stealing only the elements containing iron, currently they steal everything". This situation is the consequence of the fact that lately "the mafia of the scrap iron has progressed a lot and the black money that are produced here represent huge amounts. And due to the poverty existing in our country this problem has become acute. We have succeeded once again to mobilize decision factors and, through a government ordinance, the interdiction regarding the purchase of non-ferrous metals from physical persons has been extended to three more years.
The effect is not visible yet. Statistically, in the last seven years there have been recorded 997 thefts and devastations, and the damages, at the inventory value, not at the replacement, represent 14 billion ROL." Among the measures aiming at stopping these phenomena, the director sustained the idea of issuing a law, similar to the one existing in other countries, to forbid the access in the track perimeter to the physical persons that are not authorized, and also the achievement of certain more rigorous controls at the centers meant for collecting the ferrous and non-ferrous scrap.

Solutions meant for reducing the number of accidents and thefts at the Railways
Mr. Lucian Blaga, the central inspector within the General Inspectorate for Safety Traffic and Control, has presented, at the end of the discussions, the measures that have been taken within CFR SA for the prevention, diminishing and, eventually, the stopping of the thefts at the Railways. Among them there was also included the elaboration of a draft law that is more restrictive and more punitive, the achievement of certain radio-TV broadcasts, where there was explained the danger that the intervention on the elements of the railway track represents, the organization of meetings with SRI representative on railway problems and so on.
With respect to the railway accidents, they cannot be prevented - the participants to this seminar have concluded, a major part of them, car drivers - but only through the increase of the fines given to those that do not respect the provisions of the Road Code regarding the level crossing with the railways. The obligation for reducing the speed at the level crossing with the railways is clearly stipulated by law, yet, unfortunately, a great number of participants to the traffic infringe this provision. And the haste and the impatience that the car drivers show while crossing the railways - either it is signaled through the Cross of Saint Andrew, or there it is an automatic gate - they only raise the number of accidents.
The representatives of the Road Police have been invited to closely collaborate with those from CFR SA, so that through the presence of several police crews in the areas of level crossing with the railways to discourage the "bravery" actions of the car drivers. The railway men have resorted, on the occasion of this seminar, to all the citizens of this country to respect their own life, as well as the one of their fellows by respecting the legal regulations.
On their turn, the representatives of the Road Police have spoken about the modalities for preventing the road accidents and, mostly, of those recorded at the railways, from the fines and other legal means of punishing the offenders, and up to the methods of educating the participants engaged in the road traffic through the radio and TV broadcasts, as well as through specially organized courses in the schools so the little traffic participants should be informed and educated.

"The alignment to the European standards of the railway infrastructure brings about an increased level of safety in the railway traffic, in the conditions of increasing the operation speed, the comfort that the passengers and the freight transporters take advantage of. And through the modernization and rehabilitation programs that we are managing at the level of departments and of the rail regions, we are permanently looking for methods to increase the level of safety in railway transport and, implicitly, to increase the security feeling of those involved in this, even if the total elimination of the risks seem, for a moment, impossible", Mr. Mihai Necolaiciuc, the general director of CNCF "CFR" SA, has declared.

All the speakers have expressed their hope that through the use in many press articles of the information offered on the occasion of this seminar the public opinion would become aware of the danger that the absence of mind and the lack of respecting the rules in the operation on the public roads - especially in the vicinity of the railways and at the level crossings -, as well as the one represented by the theft or the destruction of the railway equipment. Therefore, besides the measures that are strictly mechanical that the institutions as CFR, AND or Road Police could take, the press could arouse the consciousness of the citizens of this country, could help them fairly value their health, life and freedom.

Silvia Mirea