Campaign for Level Boarding
@LevelBoarding
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Following
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The Campaign for Level Boarding is a group of activists, engineers and experts working together to make level boarding on UK trains and stations a reality.
Joined November 2019
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There is a different way to approach rail engineering that would improve safety, accessibility and efficiency for everyone.
#LevelBoarding
at every door of every platform. No more steps or ramps needed. Join our campaign for change!
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Excellent to hear
@KatiePennick
with
@amolrajan
on
@BBCRadio2
just now talking about the need for
#LevelBoarding
. Find out more about the campaign here: - it's a simple ask that benefits everyone. It's time for inclusive travel.
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We need a rolling schedule of platform and train improvements to enable Level Boarding, to the benefit of everybody.
Took a trip to Gainsborough Lea Road! The size of that gap and the steepness of that ramp!!! THIS ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH!!!
cc:
@LordOrk
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The huge gap at Barry Docks because the gap is dangerous and level boarding is safer for everyone.
@tfwrail
My mum is in her 60s and she’s avoided getting the train to Barry for nearly a decade because she cannot manage the gap. At least when we had pacers there was a slight step to help, but on a 150 it’s just a leap of faith
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We are a group of disabled rail passengers, rail engineers and others who want to see
#LevelBoarding
for everyone. Wheelchair users, anyone with impaired mobility, cyclists, people with luggage, this is for all of us.
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This is so excellent.
Excellent for disabled people - wheelchair users, people with other mobility impairments, people with visual impairments
Excellent for people with pushchairs, luggage
Excellent for staff.
No downsides!
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Great to see Level Boarding - makes such a difference!
Off to Norwich today.
@Reytomas1228
and I are mapping accessibility on
@greateranglia
. This is Liverpool St platform 10 on a low floor class 745 stadler train. This is what many platforms could look like if
@transportgovuk
chose to specify low floor trains. No idea why they don’t
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This is such an access barrier for people using
@SouthernRailUK
. Safety and accessibility mean that we need a rolling programme of platform alterations to enable level boarding.
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We need and deserve level boarding, on the Elizabeth line as across the UK.
I hope Eric recovers from his experience.
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Today we issued an open letter to the MD of
@greateranglia
commending the introduction of partial
#LevelBoarding
but calling for better information and processes at non-level boarding stations to prevent disruption for disabled passengers.
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A green, reliable and ACCESSIBLE railway please
1) level boarding
2) wheelchair spaces in 1st Class
3) universal scooter access.
@transcotland
@ScotRail
The Scottish Government has announced a procurement to replace ScotRail's InterCity high-speed trains. A commercial tender will now be launched in the coming weeks, setting out timescales for the replacement. This is good news as we work towards a green and reliable railway.
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Here's our map showing current and future
#LevelBoarding
Currently, it's very limited and even by 2040, will cover just a fraction of the UK rail network. We can do so much better than this. What we need is a political commitment to inclusive travel with some real ambition.
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Three passengers have been severely injured catching the new Elizabeth Line trains at Ealing Broadway, because the height difference between the platform and train is so great.
We need a rolling programme of platform adjustments to prevent these accidents from happening.
Ms Daramola says platform is dangerous + needs fixing:
"Main thing is gap is too high, I fear someone will die, because I was actually unconscious, and will happen to other people”
@TfL
- Will it take passengers death before Elizabeth Line platform is fixed at Ealing Broadway?
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So we've been looking at level boarding solutions around the world. We're really impressed with the
#Stadler
#Giruno
@railservice
trains in Italy and Switzerland, which enable level boarding at two different platform heights, 550mm and 760mm.
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Level boarding and platform screen doors - the perfect combination!
Our Westinghouse Platform Screen Doors are being installed at stations on the Elizabeth line, delivering safer, quieter platforms for travellers by providing a barrier between train/track & the platform.
Here are some pictures from Farringdon Station that really show them off!
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step free from platform to train enabling independent travel which is safer for everyone
Special interest groups visit new
@My_Metro
trains shaped by their valuable feedback.
With automatic sliding steps and more wheelchair space, trains are designed for everyone's convenience. Kudos to all involved 🚆👏
#tyneandwear
#lightrail
#inclusivity
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We need a procurement standard for all new trains to be low-floor, with retractable steps, to enable at least the possibility of level boarding - combined with a rolling programme of platform improvements to bring all platforms up to the UK standard.
Wow, look at the size of the gap between the platform and the train.
Regrettably, another new train which will be in service decades and doesn’t allow level boarding, which is safer for everyone and enables independent travel for wheelchair users.
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#Merseyrail
will be the only UK example of the approach we are advocating where both trains and platforms are re-engineered to achieve
#LevelBoarding
. It will transform travel for everyone but particularly many disabled people.
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This. Platform humps are not the only way to achieve Level Boarding, and generally a poorer choice. Standardised platforms of 915mm height and low-floor trains to match is the objective we should be aiming for.
@SouthernRailUK
@pwad
@squirrelpot
Can you confirm that if the 700s had been produced with a low train floor, like the Stadler trains in
@greateranglia
and
@merseyrail
, platform humps wouldnt be needed and any subsequent platform standardisation would not limit the mixture of trains in the thameslink routes?
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Level Boarding is so emancipating!
(Sorry that you didn't get the job though)
Had a fun day in Norwich… Lovely city - definitely going back again.
Didn’t get the
@BBCNorfolk
job I went for, but I may just have fallen in love with the
@LevelBoarding
on the
@GreaterAnglia
train between Norwich and Ely😍♿️🛤
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Simply fabulous.
Congratulations
@DavidPo22194359
@merseyrail
Checking out the new level boarding Merseytravel trains. With David Powell and councillor Lyndsey in front of the train door with wheelchair symbol
@LevelBoarding
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Trains of the future must enable level boarding. Don't lock in accessibly for a generation to come.
Rolling stock expert
@andybagguley
on level boarding: "If we get the next bunch of rolling stock and it's not accessible, we have failed as an industry."
@PassengerFest
#Railway
#a11y
#DisabilityTwitter
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THIS IS WHY WE NEED THE GOVERNMENT TO COMMIT TO
@levelboarding
which is safer for everyone
I really struggle with the gap these days - a giant step for me 😁😁😁
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This is shocking - a huge backwards step.
@GWRHelp
@TfL
Can you confirm that the replacement of Heathrow Express 332 trains will mean level boarding will be removed at Paddington and Heathrow? Do you understand that using ramps makes travel sooo much worse for wheelchair users?
Enough said
#LevelBoarding
@LevelBoarding
I will dearly miss these and a loss of Level boarding on Heathrow Express. 😪
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What a difference level boarding can make.
This is excellent.
We need this in more places!
Wow. My first experience as a mobility scooter user of
@LevelBoarding
in UK
New
@merseyrail
trains are absolutely fantastic transformative for disabled people enabling independent travel and safer for everyone
@DavidPo22194359
has shown what’s possible
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Low-floor trains and platforms that meet the existing standard. It's not a complicated solution, but we need both elements for it to work. Look out for upcoming
#Merseyrail
changes to see this approach in action. This can be done now.
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#LevelBoarding
is achievable in all new projects and could be introduced across the entire UK in 30 years. But it's just not happening, even HS2 and Crossrail are dropping the ball with a partial approach. We need investment and commitment now.
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We are really happy and impressed that the trains and stations will allow for full level access, making life safer and considerably easier for all, especially disabled people and station staff.
One of
@merseyrail
new class 777s on display at
#RailLive
today (and tomorrow). I'm very impressed with the interior, the electronic route map is a great idea and the windows into the cab will make for some interesting views when they are out on the network!
@RAIL
@Stadler_UK
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Great to see
@LevelBoarding
campaigners
@HH23tt
and
@SChristiansen87
highlighting the slow progress increasing step-free stations on the tube network. This predates Covid - with delays and cancellations well before the pandemic. 1/2
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Great to see
@railandroad
taking action for safety.
With Level Boarding, this risk and problem disappears. Wheelchair users and others can get on and off trains without needing ramps or staff to deploy them. Inherently much safer by design.
Ramps must be secured by law for boarding and alighting, and although we have had no reports of any injuries, an unsecured ramp raises the risk.
As such, our engagement with the train operators on these issues continues 👇
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Tight platform curves present difficulties with achieving level boarding. But we must not stop aspiring to such, through a rolling programme of infrastructure and platform upgrades.
Sickening accidents like this at the platform:train interface remind us of the reasons.
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We hope you're better soon, Chris!
Level Boarding is safer for everybody.
Storytime: a few days ago I took a wrong step onto my train headed towards Ghent (probably bc I was carrying a 40 lb luggage) and fell between the train & platform, scraping my leg a bit. Could’ve been much worse, but moral of the story is that Belgian trains need level boarding!
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This death is incredibly sad. Our thoughts are for the man, with his poor family and our colleagues across the rail industry who have to cope with the emotional and physical aftermath of this terrible accident.
RAIB has published its report concerning a fatal accident at Waterloo Underground station, London, 26 May 2020.
#LondonUnderground
#BakerlooLine
#Waterloo
#southlondon
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@ScotRail
A green, reliable and ACCESSIBLE railway please
1) level boarding
2) wheelchair spaces in 1st Class
3) universal wheelchair access
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It would be great if this development could include Level Boarding.
South Kensington tube station development recomended for approval
There is a related plan to upgrade the tube station to add in step-free access, and some of the planned property development will include adding in space for lifts and access to the station
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This is so sad.
Level Boarding would reduce this risk substantially.
TfL pledges response to prevent tragedies after platform death
ORR issued improvement notice to London Underground Ltd as it failed to make a suitable & sufficient assessment of risks to safety of any persons who may fall into gap between platform & train
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Level boarding in the core and Heathrow on Elizabeth Line is safer for everyone enabling wheelchair users to travel independently
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@GreaterAngliaPR
@BombardierR_UK
Why don't these offer level boarding like the Stadlers? Is this a deliberate policy to have an accessibility lucky dip - where some trains allow wheelchair users to travel independently and some don't? This is a regressive step and such a shame.
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We have so much further to go. Disabled people can make more journeys - but not with the same rights and freedoms of everyone else. And there's no ambitions to change this for the most part.
UK
#DisabilityHistoryMonth
starts today, reflecting on the progress made and looking to the future. With step-free access at 200 stations and 100 more planned by 2024, the Access for All programme means that more rail journeys can be made through accessible stations.
#UKDHM2020
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They are indeed.
You're occasional reminder (expect these to, ahem, ramp up as the trains enter service) that
@Merseyrail
are the exemplar for
@LevelBoarding
, and that the entire GB rail industry just needs to do precisely what they have done:
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Switzerland enables level boarding.
"Part of Stadler’s Flirt family, the units are 105 m long, with spacious low-floor entry areas and large windows"
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Very glad that this passenger was okay. It could have been very different.
This situation wouldn't arise with
#LevelBoarding
.
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The point? Even with the current Crossrail set up, getting the right train could permit level boarding across the whole route. Perhaps this gives us hope for the future?
@CarolinePidgeon
@Heidi_LDN
@AlokSharma_RDG
@TfL
@BombardierR_UK
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#Crossrail
will also have different platform heights. The UK standard platform height is 915 mm and new crossrail stations are 1100 mm. However, unlike the Girunos, crossrail trains will only provide level boarding at one height - 1100 mm
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Level Boarding, removing the step/gap between the platform and the train, is the way forward in so many ways.
One way is ease of access for wheelchair users. Straight on or off without the need of staff help or a ramp.
It also speeds up despatch significantly.
On the right: a brand new train that can be accessed by wheelchair users without a ramp
On the left, a brand new train that will require assistance ramps.
@greateranglia
are getting a huge fleet of the ones on the left and a small fleet of the ones on the right
@LevelBoarding
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Let us hope that this shake-up enables the possibility of
#LevelBoarding
.
Ministers set to reveal radical rail shake-up
Chief among the reforms, the day-to-day running of the rail system will be brought under the control of a new body, independent of the Department for Transport (DfT).
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We need renewed commitment to accessible travel now. Let's move beyond excuses and look to stepping up level boarding and step-free access. No one should be excluded from accessing the entire transport system. 2/2
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@DavidShirres
@GarethDennis
@iansderbyshire
@_train_sam
@SpeedySticks007
@LordOrk
@philatrail
That something will take decades shouldn't be a reason not to act. Should we as a society take such a short-sighted view? Should we not invest in cancer cures, nuclear fusion, self-driving cars? Tackling level boarding doesn't preclude improving current journeys, let's do both.
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@DavidShirres
@GarethDennis
@iansderbyshire
@_train_sam
@SpeedySticks007
@LordOrk
@philatrail
We certainly agree on the need for more data, but there's nothing to indicate level boarding is comparably more dangerous. Trips and falls won't send you under a train if the PTI gap is smaller.
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@DavidShirres
@GarethDennis
@iansderbyshire
@_train_sam
@SpeedySticks007
@LordOrk
@philatrail
There are a range of different train designs that allow level boarding in other countries. Level boarding from an engineering perspective isn't complicated. It just needs the determination to solve the problem.
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@MsEYates
@GarethDennis
@LordOrk
It's not on the website simply because there wasn't anything to say - we're entirely unconnected and have no funding. However this is probably something worth saying in itself so we'll add something to that effect. Thanks!
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Very tuneful! Great lyrics!
Video please :-)
🎶Everybody's doin' a brand new train now
Come on railway do the level boarding
I know you'll get to like it if you give it a chance now
Come on railway do the level boarding
Do it nice and easy now don't lose control
A little bit of engineering and of soul
So come on, come on🎶
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This is so true.
Wow. Look at the size of the gap from platform to train. Hopefully
#LevelBoarding
will be discussed which is safer for everyone and enables wheelchair users to travel independently
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@Bobbadbig
@Reytomas1228
@GarethDennis
@greateranglia
@AlansTweets
@AlokSharma_RDG
@CarolinePidgeon
They'd soon have a product if it was mandated by the procurers of rolling stock.
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@CarolineRussell
Thanks for the retweet! We're keen to work with all parties to push the
#LevelBoarding
agenda - so please feel free to get in touch at any time.
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@rotciv_werdlem
@KatiePennick
It's a good start, but without platform alterations it's sadly only half a solution. Several stations are not level boarding and this has led to access failures in some cases. The only real solution is level boarding rolling stock AND platform work.
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@DavidShirres
@GarethDennis
@iansderbyshire
You can look at many examples around the world and now in the UK to see low floor train designs. We aren't suggesting it's "easy", but it's certainly possible as we already have the technology.
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@KatiePennick
@Sarahmarieob
Our resident step-free expert
@Reytomas1228
says there are plans for platform alterations to increase no. of level boarding stations - but plans don't seem to be clear or definite at this stage.
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@HS2theTruth
Take a look at our website that has a FAQ to answer exactly these kind of questions
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@Clivedurdle
@LordOrk
@SpeedySticks007
@PermanentRail
@transportgovuk
@CommonsTrans
@RailSupplyGrp
@RailDeliveryGrp
@ABCommuters
@RSSB_rail
@railandroad
@railindustry
That's what has been done in Spain, but we don't even have standards for rolling stock height yet, so we'll need to start by building political support for level boarding in the first place.
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@McNicol_7
Hi Cath, welcome! Actually we're calling on manufacturers to
#LowerTheTrains
primarily - raising platforms brings problems, lowering trains works for everyone - we explain it here:
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@McNicol_7
That's true, we're also calling for a programme of works to bring platforms to the 915mm standard.
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@Chivers67
Raising the platform beyond 915mm poses problems for certain trains which would hit (foul) the platform. Lowering train floors to the 915mm platform standard is an approach that won't cause problems for other rolling stock. Check out our FAQ for info
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@HS2theTruth
By using a higher platform height e.g. parts of Crossrail, it will be impossible to achieve level boarding in the outer stations, which must accommodate mixed rail traffic. 915mm works for all trains - so bringing in trains that match this allows level boarding across the network
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@JemmaDem
@DisabilityLib
@Tanni_GT
We don't have clarity on what exactly HS2 will offer. This is exactly why we set up our campaign. Even new projects and trains now aren't committing to level boarding - or are equivocating about it. We need it to be a priority now.
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@DavidShirres
@_train_sam
@HS2theTruth
@philatrail
@HitachiRailEU
@AvantiWestCoast
@GarethDennis
What other requirements, in what cases?
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