Pilot program measures train delays at London railway crossings

The city of London is implementing a new system to try to ease traffic headaches caused by trains.

Shane Maguire, London’s division manager of Roadway Lighting and Traffic Control, says the monitoring system will gather data to see how long a train will disrupt traffic, with plans to share that info with the public.

“The system’s called TRAINFO, the company is out of Winnipeg, and they put in sensors that are on the city’s road allowance and they can detect when a train is approaching a crossing, and through some algorithms can determine how long the train is going to be at the crossing.”

Maguire says the sensors have been installed, and a pilot project is underway monitoring the CP crossings on Richmond Street, Adelaide Street, and a rail line on Dundas Street, east of Egerton Street. The system will cost about $50,000.

Maguire says train impacts are a common complaint from the drivers, and he’s hoping the info will help people understand how their time will be impacted if a train comes by and will give them the chance to find an alternative route if necessary.

The signs along the road will be like digital screens found near some of London’s downtown bus stops.