Level crossing AI safety solution has merit

Around 75% of Australia’s 23,000 level crossings are ‘passive’, meaning they are without barriers, lights or sounds — using only signs to warn drivers of oncoming trains. To address this safety gap, Swinburne University of Technology developed Smart-LX, an edge AI solution that, by combining AI with solar power, delivers real-time alerts without relying on traditional infrastructure; features that make it a cost-effective safety enhancement for remote and underserved locations.

In addition to its immediate safety benefits, Smart-LX also captures driver behaviour, which can help shape future polices. “Too many serious incidents continue to occur at passive level crossings, particularly in regional Australia,” project lead Associate Professor Chris McCarthy said. “With Smart-LX, we set out to create an affordable, intelligent warning system that can help prevent these tragedies.”

The solution was a partnership with Freight Victoria (Department of Transport and Planning) and funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, as part of the Regional Australia Level Crossing Safety Program. It was a Merit Recipient in the Government & Public Sector Solution section of the 2025 VIC iAwards.

Hosted by the Australian Information Industry Association and celebrating Victoria’s top innovators and technology leaders, the solution’s iAwards merit recognition, McCarthy said, “highlights just how critical” the challenge of passive level crossing safety is “and what can be achieved when innovation is driven by real community need”. Team members on the Smart LX project were: Professor Prem Prakash Jayaraman, Professor Hadi Ghaderi, Professor Hussein Dia, Dr Felip Martí, Dr Anas Dawod, Shihan Xu and Shane Joachim.

Image credit: iStock.com/pamspix. Stock image used is for illustrative purposes only.