Australian Level crossing assessment model (ALCAM)

The Australian Level Crossing Assessment Model (ALCAM) is a safety assessment tool used to assist in the prioritisation of railway level crossings (level crossings) according to their comparative safety risk. It provides a rigorous defensible process to assist with decision making for road and pedestrian level crossings as well as a method to help determine the optimum safety improvements for individual sites.

At the May 2003 Australian Transport Council (ATC) meeting all state and territory transport ministers agreed to adopt this innovative method of risk assessment. ALCAM is currently applied across all Australian states and territories and is overseen by a committee (the national ALCAM Group) of representatives from these states and territories to ensure its consistency of development and implementation.

The model is a complex scoring algorithm which considers each sites physical properties (characteristics and controls) and consideration of the related common human behaviours, to provide each level crossing with a comparative "Risk Score". This score is then multiplied by the sites "Exposure Rating" (a factor of Vehicles, Trains & Consequence) which enables the comparison of the relative Total Risk Exposure Score across level crossings within a given jurisdiction.

ALCAM produces both an overall comparative Risk Score for each site as well as highlighting where specific risks exist. ALCAM then allows for the determination of proposed treatments to address these risk areas, as well as consideration of the cost verses risk reduction of these proposed treatments. A total data management system is provided (the Level Crossing Management System – LXM) to allow for the effective management of ALCAM data as well as other important information (such as incident / accident history and digital photographs) which assists in the overall decision making process.

The model allocates weighted points to existing characteristics at a level crossing to calculate a Risk Score for the site. The weightings applied have been determined through a series of workshops by an expert group primarily from Australia’s road and rail jurisdictions. In excess of 100 individuals, primarily from Australia’s road and rail jurisdictions, with expertise collectively covering the areas of level crossing safety, have been involved in the development of ALCAM from its conception in 1999 through to its continuing development and use. The weighting’s take into account the likelihood and impact of a series of identified accident causal factors (accident mechanisms) and to what comparative degree each characteristic and control measure at a site contributes to and/or impacts on these accident mechanisms.

It is important to note that ALCAM is only one of the tools used in the safety assessment of level crossings and consideration also needs to be made to address other elements. Whilst ALCAM does produce various outputs, this does not preclude the need for sound engineering judgment. It should be used in conjunction with stakeholder site assessments, standards, and other risk mitigation strategies. ALCAM should be applied by road and / or railway safety engineers or other similar professionally qualified staff who have been trained by approved ALCAM instructors in the proper application of ALCAM. This needs to be combined with appropriate expertise and experience in level crossing safety, risk management and knowledge of the applicable level crossing standards.

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