Page 12 - Operation Lifesaver Estonia Annual Report 2011

Railway Safety in Estonia - 10 - Annual Report 2011
Since the birth of NPO Operation Lifesaver Estonia (OLE)
in 2004, Estonian Railways has remained organisation’s
stable partner in promoting railway safety. Starting
from the year 2008 our cooperation has been based on
the Public railway safety enhancement plan of Estonian
Railways for 2008-2012.
The objective of the above plan is to create safe
environment for railway crossing at level and pedestrian
crossings in order to avoid human injury and prevent
financial damage.
Our common objectives, mutual trust established over the
years and OLE’s active work in the field of railway safety
are the reasons why Estonian Railways has chosen OLE as
its partner for executing 15 out of 27 measures described
in the safety enhancement plan.
During the last five years, Estonian Railways has made
considerable investments in improving the condition
of its railway infrastructure. In 2011, for example, we
invested with the help of the EU Structural Fund a record
amount of EUR 84 million. Already today passenger trains
can drive on our infrastructure with the driving speed of
120 km/h and freight trains 80 km/h. In the end of 2012
first brand new passenger trains will arrive. Estonian
Railways is getting ready – in 2012 we complete the
reconstruction of most of the passenger platforms and
renew railway lines and catenary located west of our
capital Tallinn.
The drastic improvement of technical
conditions and increase of driving
speeds offering new level of comfort
for passengers may have a drawback –
increased level of safety risks.
Estonian Railways has implemented a
variety of technological measures for
improving safety: reconstruction and construction of
passenger platforms, modernisation of pedestrian and
vehicle crossings, etc. In the year 2011 alone the company
cleaned 71 pedestrian crossings, repaired four pedestrian
tunnels, modernised automatic signalling systems at 26
level crossings, rebuilt 79 passenger platforms, etc.
I am convinced that our sustainable cooperation
with OLE in implementing our action plan for
enhancing public railway safety offers the best
possible solution for shaping the right traffic
behaviour of people and directing them towards life
preserving behaviour.
KAIDO SIMMERMANN
AS Eesti Raudtee (Estonian Railways)
Chairman of Management Board
ACTIVITIES OF OLE MEMBERS