A method for operating an axle counter system (AC3, AC4, AC5, AC6) for monitoring the occupation status (F, O) of a given track section (TS1, TS2), the track section (TS1, TS2) being limited by counting positions (CP1, CP2, CP3), wherein at least one counting-in-position and at least one counting-out-position is provided, wherein at each counting position (CP1, CP2, CP3) a basic detection point (DP1, DP2, DP3) is provided and at at least one counting position (CP1, CP2, CP3) an additional detection point (RDP1, RDP2, RDP3) is provided, the basic and the additional detection point forming a set of redundant detection points (DP1, DP2, DP3, RDP1, RDP2, RDP3), wherein each of the basic and the additional detection point is a double sensor, said method comprising: (a) incrementing or decrementing axle counter values (#) by means of the detection points (DP1, DP2, DP3, RDP1, RDP2, RDP3) in dependence of the moving direction of a passing axle; (b) transmitting the axle counter value (#) of each detection point (DP1, DP2, DP3, RDP1, RDP2, RDP3) to an axle counter evaluator (ACE3, ACE4, ACE5); (c) selecting for each counting position (CP1, CP2, CP3) exactly one basic or additional detection point for further processing independent of the selection at any other counting position, wherein the axle counter values (#) of the selected basic or additional detection points (DP1, RDP2, DP3) are used for determining the number of remaining axles within the track section (TS1, TS2) and that the axle counter values (#) of the non-selected basic or additional detection points (RDP1, DP2, RDP3) of the at least one set of redundant detection points are ignored; (d) determining the number of remaining axles within the track section (TS1, TS2) by means of the axle counter evaluator (ACE3, ACE4, ACE5) by comparing the axle counter values (#) of the selected basic or additional detection points (DP1, RDP2, DP3) at the counting-in-positions with those at the counting-out-positions; and (e) outputting a track occupation status (F, O) report in dependence of the number of remaining axles within the track section (TS1, TS2). (a) incrementing or decrementing axle counter values (#) by means of the detection points (DP1, DP2, DP3, RDP1, RDP2, RDP3) in dependence of the moving direction of a passing axle; (b) transmitting the axle counter value (#) of each detection point (DP1, DP2, DP3, RDP1, RDP2, RDP3) to an axle counter evaluator (ACE3, ACE4, ACE5); (c) selecting for each counting position (CP1, CP2, CP3) exactly one basic or additional detection point for further processing independent of the selection at any other counting position, wherein the axle counter values (#) of the selected basic or additional detection points (DP1, RDP2, DP3) are used for determining the number of remaining axles within the track section (TS1, TS2) and that the axle counter values (#) of the non-selected basic or additional detection points (RDP1, DP2, RDP3) of the at least one set of redundant detection points are ignored; (d) determining the number of remaining axles within the track section (TS1, TS2) by means of the axle counter evaluator (ACE3, ACE4, ACE5) by comparing the axle counter values (#) of the selected basic or additional detection points (DP1, RDP2, DP3) at the counting-in-positions with those at the counting-out-positions; and (e) outputting a track occupation status (F, O) report in dependence of the number of remaining axles within the track section (TS1, TS2).