Life Impact Zero: Protection of birds on high-speed rail lines

Description of the Project

The LIFE Impact Zero project: Development and demonstration of a tubular anti-bird strike screens for high-speed rail lines, with the main purpose of researching on and proposing bird protection measures in high-speed rail lines, with the use of anti-bird strike screens. To do so, this project is assessing the effectiveness of a new anti-bird strike screen design, based on the concept of "equally spaced tubular screens".

The main goals of the project are as follows:

• Raising the awareness on the interaction between the railway infrastructure and birds, with the purpose of incorporating design improvements that guarantee the protection of biodiversity and minimise the loss of fauna habitats, according to the existing legislation parameters.
• Reducing the global and specific impact on existing and future high-speed lines, with the purpose of guaranteeing the protection of bird populations and focusing on priority species and protected areas or environments.
• Developing work methodologies and procedures to determine the optimum bird protection measures in the new high-speed lines, valid for their incorporation in the technical work instructions of railway managers and administrators.
• Implementing and demonstrating the effectiveness of a new screen anti-bird strike screen design, based on the concept of "equally spaced tubular screens" (PTE), extrapolated to other linear infrastructure managers in terms of definition and design.
• Disseminating the knowledge obtained, both theoretical and empirical, as well as the results and benefits provided by the methodologies to obtain and prototypes and designs prepared to reduce the problems between birds and high-speed rail networks.

Industrial Partners

Indra's Role

In accordance with the definition of actions of the Grant Agreement governing the project, PROINTEC, S.A.U. is responsible for the following actions and tasks:

• A.1: Information gathering: responsible for analysing the state of the art in the study of strikes and the mortality rate of wildlife on high-speed rail lines.

• A.6: Proposal for the specific sections associated with the implementation of actions: PROINTEC was the entity responsible for selecting the areas or specific sections for the implementation of the anti-bird strike screen prototype, with the design and implementation of a multi-criteria analysis and as a result of the analyses conducted and the information processed in previous stages.

• A.7: Drafting the construction project: PROINTEC has developed and drafted the technical documents of the project, which must be adapted to the specifications of ADIF and comply with current regulations

  The technical document approved by ADIF and that has served as the basis for the execution of the corresponding works, was titled "Project for the construction of an anti-bird strike screen prototype on high-speed lines. Madrid - Castilla La Mancha - Autonomous Community of Valencia - Region of Murcia. K.P. 100+870 to 101+270 (Toledo)" (February 2017).

• D.4: New design proposals for anti-bird strike screens. PROINTEC will be responsible for proposing improvements or modifications to the design of the anti-bird strike screens, with the results of the monitoring tasks carried out and the analysis of its conclusions.

Likewise, PROINTEC also plays a specific role in the following actions:

• A.2: Analysis and assessment of the railway sections being studied: PROINTEC was responsible for assessing the previous parameters, as required to implement a GIS, in collaboration with the UAM, for the assessment of the railway sections being studied.
• C.1: Assembly of anti-bird strike screen prototypes. PROINTEC helped supervise how the anti-bird strike screen prototype was built and assembled between October 2017 and February 2018.
• D.5: Monitoring of the socio-economic impact of the project. PROINTEC will be responsible for the work related to the economic assessment of risks and the contingent value, in collaboration with the coordinating beneficiary (ADIF), with the purpose of determining the economic impact associated with a reduction in the number of strikes.
• E.1: Dissemination: PROINTEC shall provide support to ADIF in collaboration with the UAM, in relation to the dissemination activities, design of an informative panel installed in the stations of ADIF, project website, etc.
• E.2: Layman Report: PROINTEC shall help ADIF review the Layman report.
• E.3: Technical publications and communication actions: PROINTEC participates actively in this dissemination action, and also in relation to technical communications, attending conferences and events, etc.
• F.1: Projects Managed by ADIF: PROINTEC participates actively in the internal meetings held for the implementation and development of the project.
• F.3: Networking: PROINTEC will provide assistance to the coordinating beneficiary (ADIF) in this task

Universities and Technology centres

Technologies used

The basic technologies applied specifically by PROINTEC in the project are associated with environmental and territorial analysis, as well as the usual technologies linked to the development of engineering and civil works projects.

One of the highlights is the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for tasks associated with the inventory, analysis and environmental and territorial diagnosis. The generation, processing and use of georeferenced databases is applied to all stages of the project, with a wide range of base coverage areas, including protected spaces, coverage of the territory, natural habitats and distribution of species of interest, and the rail structures analysed (layouts, standard sections, viaducts, tunnels, etc.), as well as the results of different sampling and field work, including the distribution of species, collisions, crossing frequency, etc.). This is a basic tool for the optimisation of certain processes and obtaining conclusions.

Different data gathering technologies were used in the research and observation campaigns conducted with other participants of the Consortium, in particular, the use of visual recording devices (video recordings in train cabs, cameras with movement sensors, IR cameras, etc.) and noting down and managing the information (tablets with connection 4 G, GPS, etc.).

More information

This project, with file no. LIFE12 BIO/ES/000660, is partially funded by the DG of Environment of the Commission European, as part of the Life + 12 Programme.