Title

Secure access to railway vehicles for people with reduced mobility in France: functional analysis of needs for a train access system design project

Document Type

Conference Paper

Publication Date

2007

Subject Area

Location - Europe, Mobility - Mobility impaired, Modes of Transport - Train, Transport planning - Accessibility planning

Abstract

Boarding and alighting trains are very difficult tasks for people with reduced mobility (PRM) when steps and gaps exist [Levy, 2003]. Access is mostly not possible or can be very difficult for PRM without human help, so their autonomy is greatly reduced by this dependence. Due to the diversity of the platform heights and of the floor plate heights of the French rail rolling stock and stations, there are large and varying horizontal and vertical gaps. This means that access to the train is either impossible or unsafe, leading to a reduced autonomy for PRM. This diversity also leads to difficulties in equipping the train infrastructures or train rolling stock with standardized access systems. Today, the only way to access the train for PRM is to use an elevator on the platform or to use human help.

Rights

Permission to publish given by TRANSED 2007.