Norway: Reindeer collisions avoided with satellite technology

[Adlington]

Satellite technology has been developed to try to reduce collisions between trains and reindeer in remote areas of Norway.

SaveMyReindeer combines real-time train location information with open data from Kartverket to create a moving geofence of 40 to 50 km around a train. This is then compared with data from FindMy GPS tracking collars already being worn by reindeer.

Train drivers are alerted when they are approaching the herds of animals so they can accelerate to get out of the herd’s way, slow down or stop the train. The reindeer owner also receives a smart phone alert warning them that their animals may be in danger, giving them the opportunity to move the herd. In the event of a collision, the precise GPS location is available to the authorities

Source

I can think of at least two reasons why this useless in the UK. Firstly, there are no reindeer....

 

[edwin_m]

I thought the train drivers could see the reindeer's bright red noses?

Seriously though, even when there is a herd somewhere near the track that doesn't mean they are going to cross the line. I can see this generating large numbers of false alarms.

 

[Adlington]

I'm not sure this application is likely to be ever user in anger. It's something created during a hackathon organised by The Norwegian Mapping Authority (Kartverket), so it's likely programming projects related to mapping were gently suggested ...

 

[Groningen]

Then every reindeer has to be fit with a GPS.

 

[AndrewE]

Train drivers are alerted when they are approaching the herds of animals so they can accelerate to get out of the herd’s way,

a) it was clearly not produced by a railway-aware person, just like Branson who said he would instruct drivers to go faster to get back on time!
b) Reindeer are herd animals so you would only need some to be GPS-fitted, but I still doubt that the owners would be close enough to keep them off the railway lines.

I've been on a train from Narvik to Gallivare that minced a moose, and on the Swedish Inlandsbahn the guard/conductress told me she held the record for the number of collisions - on her first trip too!

 

[Adlington]

Reindeer are herd animals so you would only need some to be GPS-fitted, but I still doubt that the owners would be close enough to keep them off the railway lines.

If you read the original source, you'll find out the idea was to inform the drivers of the proximity of animals to the track, not to alert the reindeer owners to keep them (reindeer, not owners) off the line.

 

[AndrewE]

If you read the original source, you'll find out the idea was to inform the drivers to the proximity of animals to the track, not to alert the reindeer owners to keep them (reindeer., not the owners) off the line.

I must have misunderstood this bit then:

The reindeer owner also receives a smart phone alert warning them that their animals may be in danger, giving them the opportunity to move the herd.

 

[Lrd]

Can't they just put a fence up along the line?

 

[Bayum]

If you read the original source, you'll find out the idea was to inform the drivers of the proximity of animals to the track, not to alert the reindeer owners to keep them (reindeer, not owners) off the line.

I think he means that by the time the reindeer are close enough to the line to generate the alert, the owner of the herd may be too far away to do anything about the warning.

 

[edwin_m]

I don't know how long it takes to move a reindeer herd, relative to the frequency of trains, but it strikes me as sensible to keep them off the railway in the first place rather than to try and shift them when advised a train is approaching. If they need to cross it then the herder should contact the railway to ensure no trains are coming.

 

[AndrewE]

Can't they just put a fence up along the line?

I don't know how long it takes to move a reindeer herd, relative to the frequency of trains, but it strikes me as sensible to keep them off the railway in the first place rather than to try and shift them when advised a train is approaching. If they need to cross it then the herder should contact the railway to ensure no trains are coming.

I think reindeer (and moose) amble around over huge areas to suit themselves. Look at the typical line on

or any of the others in rural Scandinavia and then consider the cost of fencing (even if it was acceptable, as it would pen free-ranging herds up and probably cause more problems than it would solve.)