Cameras installed at dangerous railway crossings after fatal accidents in southern Denmark

Danish rail authorities have installed surveillance cameras at six level crossings without barriers between Tinglev and Sønderborg, following two deadly collisions in 2025, reports DR.

The move comes after a train derailed in August 2025 near Bjerndrup, between Kliplev and Tinglev, after colliding with a slurry tanker. Another fatal accident at a separate crossing claimed the life of a 24-year-old driver whose car was struck by a train. A third incident involved a 60-year-old woman killed when her train derailed after hitting a slurry tanker.

Martin Harrow, safety chief at Banedanmark (Danish Rail), stated that impatience is the primary reason drivers ignore warning signals. “For many who cross while the signals are active, it’s about impatience. We expect these cameras to act as a deterrent,” he said, urging motorists to remain alert.

Footage from the cameras will be shared with police, who can issue fines of 2,000 kroner (approx. €270) and penalty points on driving licences for violations. Randi Rieder, a local resident, called the penalties justified: “When lives are at risk, 2,000 kroner and a penalty point is very little.”

While welcoming the cameras, Ursula Ohlsen, another Tinglev resident, criticised the delayed response: “It’s fantastic that cameras are being installed until barriers arrive, but they should have been put up before the accidents. It’s tragic that deaths were needed first.”

Banedanmark confirmed that barriers will be installed at all six crossings in 2027 as part of a new signalling system rollout.