The Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) in Costa Rica inaugurated this Monday, December 18, new security devices in 23 railroad crossings in sectors of San Jose and Cartago.

The safety barriers and traffic lights at the railroad crossways have the purpose of offering additional prevention and security for drivers, warning them in a more efficient manner of the presence of the train. The devices work with solar energy.

These 23 initial railroad crossings are just part of a total of 91 that will be intervened, 49 in the corridor San José-Cartago and 42 in the stretch San José-Pavas-Heredia.

“We seek through these three different security elements (traffic lights, bells and barriers) to avoid accidents involving the train”, commented Rodolfo Méndez, Minister of Public Works and Transportation; he added “ we hope that drivers, for their own good, are respectful of the signs and with this measures, from this point on, the reduction of accidents is significant”.

“We call on drivers to stop when they reach the railroad crossings, to respect the stop signs and wait for the train to pass”, said Elizabeth Briceño, President of the Train Institute (INCOFER).

However, just a few hours after these first group of devices began working, a vehicle crashed against one of the barriers in Barrio Escalante, San José.

This is just the first stage of this project that will be completed by the end of January 2019.

According to information by INCOFER, in 2017 a total of 156 accidents involving the train were registered. In 2018 the number so far is of 91, as a result of these accidents 12 people died.