1. EURO – ZEL 2011 IMPROVING BOARDING ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS PRACTICE Goran Simić*, Bernhard Rüger**, Dragan Milković* * University of Belgrade ** Vienna University of Technology

2. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Almost 20% of European population are the people with reduced mobility (PRM)

3. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Rail vehicle accessibility ↔ Boarding Assistance Systems (BAS) Variety of technical means Different usage practices Project PubTrans4All co-funded by EU within FP7, among other goals, tries to provide ideas for improvement of access to rail vehicles using the existing BAS  Difficulties for users Difficulties and higher costs for operators

4. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Best practice recommendations based on: Analysis of existing BAS in use on rail systems Establishing criteria for BAS assessment Evaluation of existing BAS according to defined criteria Interviews with railway operators, manufacturers and users – personal contacts and e-mail questionnaires in 21 country Existing European or national norms like PRM TSI, RVAR, UIC Documents prepared by some international bodies or organizations like COST, and UITP Results of different similar subject oriented projects

5. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Recommendations General - applicable to all types of BAS Specific - for four typical boarding/alighting situations: - level boarding/alighting - one or two steps upwards boarding and downwards alighting - step down boarding and upwards alighting - boarding/alighting in case of a height difference of more than approximately 400mm

6. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice General recommendations Platform based systems Stowed on the platform Usually simpler than vehicle- based systems Usable in combination with all vehicle types being in use at train-stations Shall be available in all stations and often on several platforms Operated by the station personnel that shall be available 24 h a day More exposed to vandalism and environmental influences then vehicle-based BAS Vehicle based systems Mounted on the vehicle (lifts or automatic ramps), or stored on the train (manual ramps) Available always right in time and at the right place Operated by train personnel (exceptionally by the passenger) Usable also in emergency cases (even at open track) Application of the vehicle based ramps is limited with maximum gradient of the ramp and usable station platform width.

7. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Exact, complete and timely information for PRM before ride (internet, call services, written and oral information on the information's desks, download on mobile phones etc. )

8. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Information at stations: visual, audible information, information on the platform about exact location of the BAS within train, well visible signage on the vehicle with BAS

9. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice PRM assistance services: flexible, pre-registration notice times need to be as short as possible (Atendo, Acces plus…) Additional services for all passengers (Facileo) Assistant of on-board staff of the train especially trained to wait in advance at dedicated and signed accessible doors BAS shall be operated by well trained staff only BAS should be installed at the doorway nearest to the driver In closed units (EMU, DMU) surveillance cameras in the PRM boarding area improve the safety

10. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Specific recommendations for the level boarding Maximum horizontal gap that doesn’t require a gap bridging system should not be greater than 75 mm (preferably 50 mm), assuming the vertical gap is smaller than 50 mm. Horizontal gap of more than 300 mm is not recommended at all and makes problems for all passengers Horizontal gap up to 450mm from the platform edge to the vehicle side should be taken into account.

11. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Gap reducing devices (tram and metro systems)

12. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Bridging plates: -synchronized operated by the door system, -shall remain standstill if they are under load

13. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Specific recommendations for one or two step upwards boarding and downwards alighting Preferable solution are ramps, but does not exclude use of lifting devices also

14. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice

15. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Height difference of more than 300mm → ramp parallel to the vehicle. This ramps shall have handrails. For height differences of more than 450 mm: not recommended to use the ramps. Lifts are a better solution in this case.

16. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Min 760 min 50 slip resistant and anti-reflecting Contrast coloured hazard warning edges Upstands at both ends of the ramp should be bevelled and should not be higher than 20 mm.

17. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Automatic ramps security measures : V=0 Controlled and synchronized by the door system Brakes applied until ramp is deployed and securely stowed 15 kg

18. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Specific recommendations step down boarding and upwards alighting Downward boarding with step more than 250 mm heigh is dangerous and not recommended Internal vehicle lifts can provide comfortable level boarding

19. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Specific recommendations for boarding/alighting in the case of height difference greater than 400 mm The best solutions in this case are platform-based or vehicle-based lifts Lifts should be operated only by well trained personnel Control of the lift should be based on the principle hold-to-run Unintentionally or contradictory commands should be avoided Protection against overload Emergency stop button for the lift user and for the staff, on the lift and on the platform or vehicle Obstacle detector, foot entrapment protection, visual and optical indication signals during operation etc. are recommended

20. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Edges appropriately marked (contrast colours) Side barriers at least 25mm high (50mm is advisable) Unobstructed and slip resistant platform Rolling-off barrier at the front and rear end at least 100mm high Bearing capacity not less than 300kg Platform’s dimensions at least 1200 x 760 mm.

21. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Up or down speed shall be up to 150 mm/s. Duration of the loading/unloading about 2 minutes each time. Capability of overcoming height differences shall be up to 1300 mm. (emergency cases in which the BAS system should be used out of the station areas as well ) Lift operation should be possible only at zero speed of the vehicle Control should ensure that the vehicle cannot be moved when a lift is in use Emergency scenario of manual operation in a case of power fault or system fault

22. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Lifts should be stowed so that they do not significantly obstruct the flow of passengers inside the vehicle or at the station platform and does not to endanger the safety of passengers It shall be prevented the risk of damage and vandalism, to provide a short time of response as well as protection against weather influences.

23. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Vehicle based lifts must be highly reliable and, in case of malfunction, easily to stow manually Lifts for boarding/alighting parallel (or occasionally at some angle smaller than 90 o ) to the vehicle, in order to allow the usage on very narrow platforms are recommended Lift shall land as close as possible but not less than 75mm to the plane of vehicle side wall (foot entrapment danger)

24. EURO – ZEL 2011 Improving Boarding Assistance Systems Practice Conclusions and further steps The recommendations given in this overview should help to improve existing praxis of BAS usage as well as to facilitate the build of the new BAS systems or stipulate requirements for their acquiring. In the next step within PubTrans4All project the design recommendations for improved BAS for the most difficult accessibility case of classic UIC wagons will be developed. According to design recommendations the prototype of the new improved BAS shall be built, tested and presented to the public in the year 2012. Detailed report with all recommendations can be found on the web page of the project (www.pubtrans4all.eu/en/project67-eu- pubtrans4all.html)