Method For Commanding A Railway Level Crossing Protection System

A data processing unit for an electronic calculator of a railway interlocking facility configured to command a railway level crossing protection system equipping a level crossing between a railway track and a road, said protection system being able to switch selectively between a protected state, in which road vehicles on said road are prohibited from crossing the railway track, and an unprotected state, in which said road vehicles may cross the railway track, the level crossing protection system initially being in the unprotected state, said calculator being programmed to:

• a) activate a railway signal preventing a train from driving beyond the level crossing,
• b) detect an incoming train approaching the level crossing and measuring a speed of said incoming train,
• c) calculate a waiting time, as a function of the train's measured speed;
• d) wait until expiration of the calculated waiting time and, once said waiting time expires, sending an order to commute the level crossing protection system into the protected state;
• e) query the state of the level crossing protection system and:
• if said level crossing protection system is found to have commuted into the protected state, deactivate said railway signal, thus allowing the train to drive beyond the level crossing;
• and
• if said level crossing protection system is found to be still in the unprotected state, maintain said railway signal in the activated state;
• wherein said data processing unit is further programmed to, during step c) of calculation of the waiting time:
• acquire reference data comprising a plurality of speed value intervals each associated to a predefined waiting time value;
• select the speed value interval corresponding to the measured speed value;
• and
• select the predefined waiting time value associated to the selected speed value interval.