L.B. Foster to Host Delegates from 20 Countries at ILCAD '22

The 14th annual International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) on June 9 forms the centerpiece of the three-day conference. ILCAD is a worldwide initiative to improve awareness of level crossing safety. The campaign is spearheaded by the UIC, the worldwide professional association representing the railway sector and promoting rail transport.

Michael O’Connell, Manager of Technology Sales – Americas, says, “ILCAD is a moment each year when the global rail industry comes together to jointly consider how to improve safety at level crossings. According to the US Department of Transportation, there are about 5,800 train-car crashes each year in the United States, most of which occur at railroad crossings. These accidents cause 600 deaths and injure about 2,300 people.”

“This year, L.B. Foster is hosting the conference delegates at our Pueblo site, where we will be showcasing our state-of-the-art grade crossing obstacle detection system, called Insight, which uses smart laser technology and CCTV to alert railroad operators to potential hazards at crossings.”

L.B. Foster’s Grade Crossing safety solution includes a range of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) based Obstacle Detection and Red-light Enforcement solutions. LiDAR is a method for determining ranges by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver.

When the barrier lowering sequence starts at the grade crossing, the L.B. Foster Insight LiDAR continues to monitor the area, providing alerts to control signaling and trains. When trains are not passing through a crossing, the LiDAR can be configured to continually scan along the direction of the track to monitor for trespassers. This system is actively in use for UK train infrastructure operator, Network Rail.

Insight is one of a suite of critical solutions designed by L.B. Foster for rail and other transit operators, called Total Track Monitoring. Other applications include event monitoring solutions for flood, rockfall and bridge strike.

L.B. Foster’s Pueblo facility manufactures and supplies railroad equipment for mainline, transit, mining, port, and industrial markets worldwide. The Track Products division has grown for more than a century to become a manufacturer of rail, rail accessories, and project services that meet the diverse needs of major rail systems around the globe.

L.B. Foster Pueblo employs over 50 people, skilled in manufacturing products in compliance with the latest AREMA specifications and respective freight railroads and transit systems. L.B. Foster’s strategic US locations include Niles, Ohio and Pueblo, Colorado, both are ISO 9001:2018 certified.

The 14th ILCAD campaign goes live on June 9 at The Cable Center Denver (Colorado), preceded by a special session on "Trespass and Suicide Prevention" on June 8 at the Colorado Railroad Museum. On June 10, delegates will be welcomed to technical visits centered around the Security and Emergency Response Training Center (formerly TCCI) and L.B. Foster’s facilities at Pueblo.