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

EURO – ZEL 2011

IMPROVING BOARDING ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS PRACTICE

Goran Simić*, Bernhard Rüger**, Dragan Milković*

*University of Belgrade

**Vienna University of Technology

EURO – ZEL 2011Improving Boarding Assistance Systems

Practice

• Almost 20% of European population are the people with reduced mobility (PRM)


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 usersDifficulties and higher costs for operators


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


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


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.


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.)


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


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


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.


Practice

• Gap reducing devices (tram and metro systems)


Practice

Bridging plates:

-synchronized operated by the door system,

-shall remain standstill if they are under load


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


Practice


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.


Practice

Min 760min 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.


Practice

Automatic ramps security measures :V=0Controlled and synchronized by the door systemBrakes applied until ramp is deployed and securely stowed

15 kg


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


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


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.


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


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.


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 90o) 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)


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)