Railway platform height
Encyclopedia
On a railway the platform height refers to the height of a platform above the rail. The value varies between railway systems. A related term is "train floor height" which is the height of the floor of the rail vehicle. There are a wide number of standards for platform heights and train floor heights. This infrequently described measure impacts both the loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...

, which is the maximum size of train, and must be within the structure gauge
Structure gauge
The structure gauge, also called the minimum clearance outline, is the minimum height and width of tunnels and bridges as well as the minimum height and width of the doors that allow a rail siding access into a warehouse...

.

Most rapid transit rail systems
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...

, light rail systems
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...

, and a growing number of bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...

 systems attempt to use the same height for platform and rolling stock floor, so that level entry is possible. This helps travelers with rolling luggage, baby strollers, and wheel chairs. Many train systems use a lower platform and steps on the train up to the train's floor.

Height categories

Buses, trams, trolleys and railway passenger cars are divided into several typical categories.
  • Ultra low floor
    Ultra Low Floor
    The Ultra Low Floor tram is a low-floor tram operating in Vienna, Austria and Oradea, Romania, with the lowest floor-height of any such vehicle...

     tram - 180 mm (7 in)
  • Low floor tram - 300 to 350 mm (11.8 to 13.8 in)
  • High floor tram - more than 600 mm (24 in)
  • Low floor train - 550 mm (22 in)
  • Train (in UK or narrow gauge) - 800 to 1200 mm (31.5 to 47.2 in)
  • Standard North American passenger cars - 51 in (1,295.4 mm)
  • Train (standard gauge (except UK) or broad gauge) - 51 to 54 in (1,295.4 to 1,371.6 mm)

Australia

Trains
The majority of railway systems
Rail transport in Australia
Rail transport in Australia is a crucial aspect of the Australian transport network, and an enabler of the wider Australian economy. Rail in Australia is to a large extent state-based. The Australian rail network consists of a total of 41,461 km of track of three major gauges, of which...

 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 use high level platforms with a platform height a small distance below the train floor level. Exception to this include Queensland
Rail transport in Queensland
Rail transport in Queensland began in 1865. Today it is one of the largest narrow gauge railway network in the world.-Public float:On 2 June 2009 the Queensland Government announced the 'Renewing Queensland Plan', with Queensland Rail's commercial activities to be separated from the Government's...

 who have narrow gauge trains and lower platforms, and South Australia
Rail transport in South Australia
The first railway in colonial South Australia was a horse-drawn tramway from the port of Goolwa on the Murray River to an ocean harbour at Port Elliot in 1854...

 who have trains fitted with low level steps to enable the use of low level platforms.

Metro and Light Rail
The tramway network
Trams in Melbourne
The Melbourne tramway network is a major form of public transport in Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, Australia. , the network consisted of of track, 487 trams, 28 routes, and 1,773 tram stops. It was therefore the largest urban tramway network in the world, ahead of the...

 in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 have some low level platforms and low floor vehicles, but most trams have steps and are boarded from the road. The Adelaide Tram line
Glenelg Tram
The Glenelg Tram is a route from the centre of Adelaide, South Australia to the beach-side suburb of Glenelg. It is Adelaide's only remaining tramway, running at approximately 15-minute intervals, and is part of the integrated Adelaide Metro public transport network...

 has low platforms at almost all stops and operates almost entirely with low-floor trams which also have retractable ramps for street boarding where required by persons unable to step up.

European Union high speed rail

The European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

 Commission issued a TSI (Technical Specifications for Interoperability) on May 30, 2002, (2002/735/EC) that sets out standard platform heights for passenger steps on high-speed rail. These standard heights are 550 mm and 760 mm. The minimum platform length shall be 400 m. Platform rebuilds shall be finished until 2020.

Germany

Germany's EBO standard (Ordinance on the Construction and Operation of Railways
Eisenbahn-Bau- und Betriebsordnung
The Eisenbahn-Bau- und Betriebsordnung or EBO is a German law specifying rules and regulations for railways....

) specifies an allowable range of 380 mm to maximal 960 mm. This would not include light rail systems that follow the BOStrab standard (Ordinance on the Construction and Operation of Tramways
BOStrab
The Verordnung über den Bau und Betrieb der Straßenbahnen is a German law governing regulations for tramway, metro and light rail operations....

) with newer metro lines to use low-floor tram
Low-floor tram
A low-floor tram is a tram that has no stair steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. The low-floor design improves the accessibility of the tram for the public, and also may provide larger windows and more airspace....

s which have a usual floor height of 300 mm to 350 mm so that platforms are constructed as low as 300 mm in accordance with BOStrab that requires the platform height to be lower than the floor height.

The traditional platforms had a very diverse height as the nationwide railway network is a union of earlier railway operators
History of rail transport in Germany
German Railway history began with the opening of the steam-hauled Bavarian Ludwig Railway between Nuremberg and Fürth on 7 December 1835. This had been preceded by the opening of the horse-hauled Prince William Railway on 20 September 1831...

. Following the European TSI standard the EBO standard requires that new platform construction be at a common height of 760 mm height. Only the S-Bahn
S-Bahn
S-Bahn refers to an often combined city center and suburban railway system metro in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark...

 suburban rail systems had a higher platform height and these are standardized on 960 mm.

Ireland

While older platforms on the Dublin and Kingstown Railway
Dublin and Kingstown Railway
The Dublin and Kingstown Railway , which opened in 1834, was Ireland’s first railway. It linked Westland Row in Dublin with Kingstown Harbour’s West Pier in County Dublin.-History:...

 were at lower levels, all platforms are now 915mm above rail and all new platforms are being built at that level. Amongst other work, there is an ongoing program of platform renewal. Both Irish railway companies (Irish Rail in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 and Northern Ireland Railways
Northern Ireland Railways
NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways and for a brief period of time, Ulster Transport Railways , is the railway operator in Northern Ireland...

 in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

) have had some derogations from EU standards as their mainline rail systems, while connected to each other, are not connected to any other system.

The electric DART fleet has carriage floors at 1067mm above top of rail creating a step of 152mm, while the diesel fleet is typically one step (150-200mm) higher than the platform.

On Dublin's Luas tram system, platforms are approximately 280mm above rail. Tram floors are at the same height, but have internal steps over the bogies.

Netherlands

European Commission decision 2002/735/EC which concerns trans-European interoperability for high speed rail specifies that rolling stock be built for operational suitability platform height of 840 mm. New Dutch rolling stock on regional lines has been ordered with level entry at 760 mm above the track. Dutch infrastructure maintainer ProRail
ProRail
In the Netherlands, ProRail is a government task organisation that takes care of maintenance and extensions of the national railway network infrastructure , of allocating rail capacity, and of traffic control...

 has committed to upgrading all stations to 760 mm platform height.

Poland

Typical Polish platform is 550 mm high, as in France, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland and Czech Republic. In some suburban areas (e.g. around Warsaw) platforms used by local traffic are higher (760–1060 mm).

Spain

While older Spanish platforms are lower, many platforms are now 680mm above rail. After gauge conversion from 1668mm Iberian gauge
Iberian gauge
Iberian gauge is the name given to the track gauge most extensively used by the railways of Spain and Portugal: namely ....

 to 1435mm standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...

, platforms will change to higher (1250mm).

Sweden

Sweden has generally 380 to 580 mm platforms for mainline trains. Stockholm Commuter Rail
Stockholm commuter rail
Stockholm Commuter Rail is the commuter rail system in Stockholm County, Sweden. The system is an important part of the public transport in Stockholm, and is controlled by Stockholm Transport; the trains are operated under contract by Stockholmståg...

 has almost always its own platforms at 730 to 1150 mm height which allows stepless trains of type X60. The Arlanda Express
Arlanda Express
Arlanda Express is an airport rail link connecting Stockholm Central Station with Stockholm-Arlanda Airport outside Stockholm, Sweden. Operated by A-Train AB, the trip takes 20 minutes and runs four to six times per hour using seven X3 electric multiple units...

 service has 1150 mm platform height with floor at platform level. They have their own platforms and trains, which are incompatible with mainline platforms and trains, even if the Arlanda Express goes on a mainline.

United Kingdom

The standard height for platforms is 915mm with a margin of +0,-25mm. On the Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express is an airport rail link from London Heathrow Airport to London Paddington station in London operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA. It was opened by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998...

 the platform height is specified at 1100 mm

High Speed 2
High Speed 2
High Speed 2 is a proposed high-speed railway between London and the Midlands, the North of England, and potentially at a later stage the central belt of Scotland. The project is being developed by High Speed Two Ltd, a company established by the British government...

 is expected to be built to dimensions conforming to the European Union technical standards for interoperability for high-speed rail (EU Directive 96/48/EC) i.e. either 550 mm and 760 mm; High Speed 1 has a platform height of 760mm on its international platforms.

Canada

Trains
In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 only Montreal's Central Station and Quebec's Gare du Palais has high level platforms at 48 inches (1220 mm) above top of rail. Almost everywhere else, the platforms are 8 inches (200 mm) above the rail.

Metro and Light Rail
The Montreal Metro
Montreal Metro
The Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....

, the Toronto subway and Scarborough Rapid Transit
Toronto subway and RT
The Toronto subway and RT is a rapid transit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of both underground and elevated railway lines, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . It was Canada's first completed subway system, with the first line being built under Yonge Street, which opened in...

, Vancouver Skytrain, Calgary C-Train
C-Train
C-Train is the light rail transit system in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has been in operation since May 25, 1981. The system is operated by Calgary Transit, a department of the Calgary municipal government.-Operations:...

, and Edmonton Light Rail Transit
Edmonton Light Rail Transit
Edmonton Light Rail Transit, more commonly referred to as the LRT, is a light rail system in Edmonton, Alberta. Part of the Edmonton Transit System , the 20.5-kilometre route starts in Edmonton's northeast suburbs and ends at Century Park in Edmonton's south end.The ETS designates the LRT as Route...

 have high level platforms.

On the Toronto streetcar system
Toronto streetcar system
The Toronto streetcar system comprises eleven streetcar routes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission , and is the largest such system in the Americas in terms of ridership, number of cars, and track length. The network is concentrated primarily in downtown and in...

, most stops are without raised platforms, but there are a number of low-level platforms on streetcar lines that have been upgraded to LRTs in central lane reservations (St. Clair Avenue, Spadina Avenue, Queens Quay, the Queensway), on Roncesvalles Avenue, and at isolated points elsewhere in the system, usually at larger transfer points involving island medians in the roadway. Passengers must still use stairs inside all streetcars (which are high-floor and upwards of 30 years old) to board and alight at all stops, until new low-floor streetcars are delivered (expected to be in 2013).

United States

Federal rules and regulations as well as local traditions vary. Tolerances are specified in Federal regulations related to the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), while NOT specifying height above the rail, in the 49 CFR Part 37, Appendix A, §10.3.1(9) and DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DISABILITY LAW GUIDANCE - FULL-LENGTH, LEVEL-BOARDING PLATFORMS IN NEW COMMUTER AND INTERCITY RAIL STATIONS (2005). Train platform heights are being specified in recent changes to Sec 37.41 (2006), as described below.

Trains
There are substantial differences in platform height between eastern and southern/western rail systems, intercity and commuter rail. Eastern US train stations serving the North East Corridor from Washington DC to New York, have a platform height standard of 48 inches (1220mm) above top of rail. Most intercity train stations, particularly in the southern/western United States, use 8 inches (203.2 mm) platforms, while southern/western US commuter rail systems use 25 inches (635mm) above top of rail platform heights. Recent proposed ADA regulatory changes to support platform level entry forcing a change in southern/western platform heights above top of rail from 8 or 25 inches (200 or 635 mm) to 15 inches (380mm) were canceled.

Example of Changes
RailPac suggests in a report that changes to the 8" and 25" platform height standard are happening.
"Another problem is the proposal for the height of platforms for new stations. The Federal Department of Justice (DOJ) wants to have platforms 15 inches above the top of the rails. At this time, most are 8 inches high (except on the northeast corridor). The DOJ is still in the process of creating the proposal, but the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is treating it like an existing rule.

Some of the effects of this include the problem of a single height platform when multiple types of railcars (with different platform heights) use a station. Right now, Amtrak cannot use the new platforms at certain stations because the platforms do not match with the height of the railcars. If Amtrak uses those platforms, it is in danger of losing operating funds. The 15 inch height will cause problems with freight cars passing them. If this rule is in effect when the Coast Daylight is ready to run, it will greatly complicate the service.

At this time, there is a new platform at the Hanford station which was built with state money but the FRA will not allow trains to use that platform.

The CRCC decided to ask federal legislators to work on changing the rule of platform height, in order to allow more flexibility."

The changes described above are explained in Federal Register: February 27, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 38) page 9764, Commuter and Intercity Rail Station Platform Accessibility, "Amtrak cars serving the area in which the commuter system will be operated. This means that cars in the eastern part of the US would have floor heights of 48 inches above top of rail, while those in the southern/western part of the US would have floor heights of 15 inches above top of rail. The purpose of this proposal is to prevent situations—some of which the Department has encountered—in which Amtrak and commuter rail cars with different floor heights use the same station platforms, complicating the provision of level entry boarding."

Metro and Light Rail
Transit Journal by American Public Transit Association, (1981), suggests that light rail platform heights have been standardized to "slightly over 3 feet." (914.4 mm) and is very similar to the UK 915 mm platform height standard. The New York Subway's R36 (1962 World Fair Specification)
R36 World's Fair (New York City Subway car)
The R36 World's Fair New York City Subway cars were built in 1963-1964 by the St. Louis Car Company in St. Louis, Missouri for the IRT division . They were purchased for service on the IRT Flushing Line which was the closest line to the 1964 New York World's Fair...

 used on the 7 train from 1962 to 2003 has a floor height of 3 feet, 9 inches (45 inches 1143 mm) Above Top of Rail (ATR). It is inferred from newer cars that New York Subway (Division A) IRT trains and platforms are all 3 feet 9.5 inches (45.5 inches 1156 mm), while (Division B) BMT floor and platform height is very close to 44 7/8 inches (1140 mm). Boston MBTA Blue Line level entry floor heights is 41.5 inches (1054 mm) ATR. Boston's MBTA Green line tram (with steps) floor heights for the Boeing-Vertol were 34 inches (864 mm) ATR and Breda Type 8 low floor is 14 inches ATR and 35 inches ATR over the wheels. Philadelphia's SEPTA trains are 42.5 inches (1080 mm) ATR. In Washington, DC, WMATA Metrorail is 38.5 inches (978 mm) ATR. San Francisco BART floor height is estimated to be about 42 inches (about 1067mm). San Francisco Muni Metro tram (with steps) floor heights for the Boeing-Vertol is 34 inches (864 mm) ATR, and it is assumed the newer Breda cars are the same.

Russia

There are two standard heights of platforms in Russia, they are 200 mm and 1100 mm above rail heads. 1100 mm high platforms are gradually changing to 550 mm platform height. 200mm platforms are used primarily on lines with either small passenger flow or using double-decker trains.

See also

  • Berne gauge
    Berne gauge
    The Berne Gauge or Berne Convention Gauge is an informal but widely-used term for the railway loading gauge considered the standard gauge in continental Europe. The term arises from the international railway conference held and consequent convention signed in Berne, Switzerland in 1912...

  • Railway station
  • Railway station layout
    Railway station layout
    A railway station is a place where trains make scheduled stops. Stations usually have one or more platforms constructed alongside a line of railway. However, railway stations come in many different configurations - influenced by such factors as the geographical nature of the site, or the need to...

  • Railway platform
    Railway platform
    A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...

  • Structure gauge
    Structure gauge
    The structure gauge, also called the minimum clearance outline, is the minimum height and width of tunnels and bridges as well as the minimum height and width of the doors that allow a rail siding access into a warehouse...


External links

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