Trains in Japan will bark and snort in a bid to keep deer off the tracks

Trains in Japan are famous for their blistering speed. The E2 series Shinkansen model, otherwise known as the bullet train, can travel up to 320kph (200mph), for example.

Unfortunately, collisions between trains and wildlife have increased in recent years, due predominantly to growing deer populations in the country.

According to Japan’s transport ministry, there were over 600 recorded cases of trains hitting deer and other wild animals in 2016, resulting in service suspensions and delays for passengers of 30 minutes or more.

To combat this, researchers at the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) have created a novel solution that involves blaring animal sounds from moving trains.

Deer deterrents

The system is predicated on the fact deer emit a snort-like sound to alert other deer when they are in danger. It is designed to play three seconds of snorting followed by 20 seconds of barking, as deer are known to fear dogs, the researchers said.

In tests, the recording was played from onboard a train during the evening and late at night, when deer are most commonly spotted.

According to the researchers, the tests indicate a 45% reduction in animal sightings. The system is expected to be put to practical use by March 2019.

“We hope to finish it into a system that works in mountainous areas and elsewhere so railroad companies will want to introduce it,” a spokesperson for the RTRI told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

Another deterrent that has proved successful was developed by an employee at the Kintetsu Railway Company.

The solution includes a wire netting wall and barriers set up within a 1km section near Higashi-Aoyama Station on the Osaka Line. Ultrasonic waves are emitted within gaps in the wall to repel deer during times of high traffic.

During times when trains are not running, typically during the night, the system is shut down to allow deer to cross the tracks. According to reports, there has only been one deer-train collision since the system was set up. This is in comparison to 17 such incidents in 2015.

Swedish solution

Various factors influence the risk of collision, including the composition of the landscape, food availability, and the attractiveness and accessibility of the railway.

That is according to the Swedish Transport Administration, which launched a project in 2015 designed to test systems for alerting and deterring wildlife from railways before trains arrive.

The project, which is expected to run for a minimum of four years, aims to prevent collisions while still allowing animals to cross the railway when no train is approaching.

To test the systems, the project team selected five sections of track, including three collision hotspots. These areas are monitored by video and thermal cameras and secured by alerting or deterring systems.

The Swedish Transport Administration expects collisions on most of the sections to be reduced by an estimated 80% in moose and 60% in roe deer.