Manual to Improve Rail Transit Safety at Platform/Vehicle and Platform/Guideway Interfaces (2017)

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8C H A P T E R 2 Introduction This chapter describes transit modes and regulations related to rail transit safety at platform/ guideway and platform/vehicle interfaces. Transit Modes Platform/guideway and platform/vehicle interface safety characteristics are described for heavy rail, commuter rail, light rail, and streetcar transit. The factors that impact safety at platform/guideway and platform/vehicle interfaces include guideway design, platform heights, station layout, operating on shared right of way, vehicle size, vehicle configuration, and operating speed. The research showed that rail transit mode, platform height, and track geometry are key considerations when recommending potential solutions to improve safety at the platform/guideway and platform/vehicle interfaces. The characteristics of heavy rail and commuter rail transit have more factors that influence platform/guideway and platform/vehicle interfaces than light rail and streetcar transit have. For this manual, the research team used the following definitions for rail transit modes from the National Transit Database (NTD) (45). Heavy Rail Transit Heavy rail transit is “a transit mode that is an electric railway with the capacity for a heavy volume of traffic. It is characterized by: • High speed and rapid acceleration passenger rail cars operating singly or in multi-car trains on fixed rails; • Separate rights-of-way (ROW) from which all other vehicular and foot traffic are excluded; • Sophisticated signaling; and • High platform loading.” (45) Figure 2.1 shows a New York City Transit (NYCT) vehicle. The NYCT is one of the oldest and largest heavy rail transit systems in the world. Impacts on platform/guideway and platform/vehicle interface safety result from the use of newer models of vehicles with different widths and floor heights that can create horizontal gaps, vertical gaps, or both. Other impacts are the result of platform edge treatments, straight or curved platform design, between-car barriers, and guideway intrusion detection and prevention systems. Rail Transit Issues That Impact Platform/Guideway and Platform/ Vehicle Interface Safety

Rail Transit Issues That Impact Platform/Guideway and Platform/Vehicle Interface Safety 9 Commuter Rail Transit “Commuter Rail Transit is a transit mode that is an electric or diesel propelled railway system for urban passenger train service consisting of local short distance travel operating between a central city and adjacent suburbs” (45). Commuter rail systems generally operate using large single-level or bi-level vehicles on longer trip lengths with fewer station stops than heavy rail transit. Most commuter rail services share track with freight rail (1). Factors that affect platform/guideway and platform/vehicle interface safety include horizontal and vertical gaps that result from shared use track, high platforms, and different vehicle floor heights. Figure 2.2 shows a single-level Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) coach. Figure 2.3 shows a bi-level commuter rail vehicle operated by New Jersey Transit. Figure 2.1. Heavy rail transit vehicle, NYC Subway (48). [Images of NYC Subway © Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Used with permission.] Figure 2.2. Commuter rail transit vehicle, LIRR. [Images of LIRR © Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Used with permission.]

10 Manual to Improve Rail Transit Safety at Platform/Vehicle and Platform/Guideway Interfaces Light Rail Transit Light rail transit is “a transit mode that typically is an electric railway with a light volume traffic capacity compared to heavy rail” (45). This mode is characterized by the following: • Single unit or short, two-car train consists • Shared or exclusive right of way • Low or high platforms Many light rail and streetcar systems have low height platforms that are about 14 in. from the top of rail. Light rail and streetcar vehicles generally travel at lower speeds when they are operating in the street. Passenger intrusion into the guideway and crossing the tracks is considered a safety risk (12). Impacts on platform/guideway and platform/vehicle interface safety result from low platform height because it is easy for people to step up and down from the guideway to the platform. In the United States, many of the light rail systems built in the last 30 years also have small horizontal gaps between the platform and the vehicles on straight platforms. Passengers may trip or get heels caught in these small gaps. Figure 2.4 is a picture of the San Diego Trolley, which is one of the older light rail systems in the United States with a low platform interface. Hybrid Systems There are commuter rail systems that have many of the characteristics of light rail transit but are categorized as commuter rail and report to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rather than to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The Sprinter operated by North County Transit District (NCTD) in Oceanside, California, is an example of a hybrid system and is shown in Figure 2.5. The vehicles are used for commuter operations and the long headways are more Figure 2.3. Commuter bi-level vehicle, New Jersey Transit.

Rail Transit Issues That Impact Platform/Guideway and Platform/Vehicle Interface Safety 11 typical of a commuter rail system. However, the station spacing is consistent with many light rail operations. Streetcar Transit This mode of rail transit operates entire routes in mixed traffic on streets. Streetcar transit usu- ally operates with single car or two-car married pair trains powered by overhead catenaries and has frequent stops. Figure 2.6 shows a picture of a streetcar in Portland, Oregon. Figure 2.4. Light rail transit vehicle, San Diego, California. Figure 2.5. Diesel multiple unit (DMU) hybrid commuter and light rail system, NCTD, San Diego County, California, (50) with a high platform interface (49).

12 Manual to Improve Rail Transit Safety at Platform/Vehicle and Platform/Guideway Interfaces The new streetcar systems in the United States operate with low floor cars. People intruding onto the guideway impacts platform/guideway and platform/vehicle interface safety. Regulations and Standards The regulations and standards that impact platform/guideway and platform/vehicle interface safety at a minimum include the following: • The Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for Transportation Facilities and Transportation Vehicles • FTA circular and guidance • Association of American Railroads (AAR) standards • American Railway and Maintenance of Way Association (AREMA) standards • American Public Transportation Association (APTA) standards • State standards • Other state regulatory agency standards ADAAG for Transportation Facilities and Transportation Vehicles The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 provides the most extensive set of regu- lations related to level boarding and platform/guideway and platform/vehicle interfaces. Since 1991, the ADA regulations have had a significant impact on platform/guideway and platform/ vehicle interfaces. The architecture guidelines and regulations associated with the ADA require newly built and altered rail transit platforms to comply with these guidelines. Recipients of federal funding must provide level boarding on newly constructed projects, at “key” stations, and when stations are renovated notwithstanding any state laws on clearances (49 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 37.42). These standards can be found in 49 CFR, Sub- title A, Part 37, Subpart C, 37.42 (f). This standard requires that the horizontal gap between the vehicle and platform be no greater than 3 in. at the locations of boarding for new platforms Figure 2.6. Streetcar Rail, Portland, Oregon. [Travel Portland. Used with permission.]

Rail Transit Issues That Impact Platform/Guideway and Platform/Vehicle Interface Safety 13 and new cars. The vertical gap cannot exceed 5/8 in. when the vehicle is at rest at the platform (29, 30, 36, and 38). FTA Circular and Guidance The FTA has produced two documents containing guidance for platform/guideway and platform/vehicle interfaces: (a) the FTA Circular C-4710.1 and (b) a letter from the FTA Acting Administrator to rail transit agencies that receive federal funding. The FTA published FTA Circular C-4710.1 in November 2015 to provide additional guidance to its financial assistance recipients and sub-recipients on carrying out ADA provisions. Figure 2.7 contains excerpts from Chapter 3, “Transportation Facilities,” of this circular. FTA’s Acting Administrator recently sent a letter to U.S. rail transit agencies to provide addi- tional clarification about between-car barriers. The intent of the letter was to clarify the need for between-car barriers to mitigate the hazard of a gap created between two or more cars oper- ating in a consist. Figure 2.8 includes a website address for current FTA guidance material for Figure 2.7. Excerpts from Chapter 3 of FTA ADA Circular C-4710.1. Excerpts of the FTA Circular 4710.1: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Guidance https://www.fta.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/Final_FTA_ADA_Circular_C_4710.1.pdf PURPOSE. This circular provides guidance to recipients and sub-recipients of Federal Transit Administration (FTA) financial assistance necessary to carry out provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s implementing regulations at 49 CFR Parts 27, 37, 38, and 39. 3.6 Rapid Rail Platforms: The general standards for rail platforms can be found in Section 810.5 (https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/transportation/facilities/ about-the-ada-standards-for-transportation-facilities/ada-standards-for-transportation- facilities-single-file#a810) of the DOT Standards; Section 810.5.3 references the platform-to-rail-car gap standards found in Part 38. For rapid rail, § 38.53(d) establishes the platform-to-rail-car gap required for new vehicles operating in new stations, new vehicles operating in existing stations, and retrofitted vehicles operating in new and key stations. Unlike commuter or light rail, there is no exception that permits platform configurations that do not provide level boarding. It is important to note that the platform-to-rail-car gap dimensions are a maximum standard, and may still present barriers to some persons with some disabilities. Project sponsors are encouraged to minimize the gap as much as possible. 3.7 Light Rail Platforms: (1) Vehicles intended to be operated solely in light rail systems confined entirely to a dedicated right-of-way, and for which all stations or stops are designed and constructed for revenue service after the effective date of standards for design and construction in §§ 37.21 and 37.23 of this title shall provide level boarding and shall comply with §§ 38.73(d)(1) and 38.85 of this part. (2) Vehicles designed for, and operated on, pedestrian malls, city streets, or other areas where level boarding is not practicable shall provide wayside or car-borne lifts, mini-high platforms, or other means of access in compliance with § 38.83 (b) or (c) of this part” (§38.71(b), http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID= 5dedade1af2cff33d5126f414fe5ef83&mc=true&r=PART&n=pt49.1.38#se49.1. 38_171). 3.8 Intercity, Commuter, and High-Speed Rail Platforms: In September 2011, DOT amended its ADA regulations by adding § 37.42 to require intercity, commuter, and high- speed passenger railroads to ensure, at new and altered station platforms, that passengers with disabilities can enter and exit any accessible car of the train.

14 Manual to Improve Rail Transit Safety at Platform/Vehicle and Platform/Guideway Interfaces FTA Guidance on Between-Car Barriers https://www.fta.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/policy-letters/lrt-vehicle-car-barrier -requirements Text is extracted from a letter from Therese W. McMillan, Acting Administrator, FTA “Under 49 C.F.R. § 38.85, where light rail vehicles operate in a high-platform, level boarding mode, devices or systems must be provided to prevent, deter, or warn individuals from inadvertently stepping off the platform in between cars. The intent of this provision, which has been a part of the DOT ADA regulations since September 6, 1991, is to require light rail systems to obtain suitable devices to assist with and prevent passengers from mistaking the gap between cars for a doorway and potentially falling onto the trackbed. I believe the confusion regarding the between-car barrier requirement centers on the fact that there is no regulatory definition of “high-platform.” But, the regulatory language links “high- platform” to “level boarding mode” and must be considered in conjunction with other key parts of the regulation, which clearly point to the relationship between platform height and entrance to the vehicle floor—an alignment that must occur to create a level boarding environment. Thus, the requirements in 49 C.F.R. § 38.85 are designed to deal with the safety problem resulting from the gap between cars when vehicles operate in this high-platform, level-boarding mode. Furthermore, the regulation recognizes that level boarding from high platforms (where the platform height is coordinated with the height of the vehicle floor) provides the most accessibility for the maximum number of people. These requirements address the need to mitigate the hazard of a gap created between two or more rail cars operating in a consist. All travelers must have safe, unimpaired access to a light rail system. In a level boarding/platform environment without between-car barriers, the hazard of falling to the trackbed exists whenever a light rail system operates trains of more than one car.” (Updated March 16, 2016) Figure 2.8. Extract from FTA between-car barrier guidance materials. between-car barriers. The figure includes an extract of the letter sent by Therese W. McMillan, Acting Administrator, FTA (31, 37). AAR Standards The goals of the AAR are to improve safety and the dimensional standards within the rail industry. Horizontal dimensional clearance standards for freight rail cars have a direct impact on commuter rail services that share track with freight rail. The dimensional clearance standards are referred to as loading gauge. The primary purpose is to restrict the maximum height and width of rail cars. The standard referred to as “Plate C” is the most relevant for platform/guideway and platform/ vehicle interfaces. The emergence of taller freight cars such as double stacked intermodal cars, auto carriers, and high cube boxcars has made additional standards such as Plate H and Plate K more common along certain routes. The horizontal dimensions are more relevant than the vertical dimensions for the platform/ guideway and platform/vehicle interfaces. Typically, passenger rail cars in the United States are not as wide as freight cars. For example, a freight car is 10 ft 8 in. wide and a Bombardier Bi-Level Coach is 9 ft 6 in. wide. In this example, to accommodate the width of the freight car, a horizon- tal gap of 7 in. results between the platform and the Bombardier BiLevel Coach (34, 35, 38, 39). Figure 2.9 shows the AAR’s Plate C standard and typical rail transit vehicle outside dimensions. AREMA Standards Guidance from AREMA is as follows: “Committee 28 of AREMA is responsible for (a) main- taining current knowledge of clearances required by law or regulation in each of the political

Rail Transit Issues That Impact Platform/Guideway and Platform/Vehicle Interface Safety 15 entities through which the member roads of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) oper- ate and (b) making this knowledge readily available to members of the AAR. Committee 28 is also responsible for publication of clearance diagrams defining clearances required by various AAR interchange rules and developing procedures to protect the movement of excessive dimension or overweight loads.” Chapter 28 of the AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering is published as recommended practice to railroads. APTA Standards APTA has an active program for the development of industry standards. The Streetcar Stan- dards [APTA-RT-ST-GL-001-13] and the Recommended Practice for Developing a Clearance Diagram for Passenger Equipment [APTA PR-CS-RP-003-98] are industry standards that pertain to platform/guideway and platform/vehicle interfaces. State Standards The FRA does not provide regulations or guidance on rail car clearance. The development of standards is the responsibility of rail divisions in individual states. In many states, the rail division of the state DOT has developed standards for rail car clearance. These standards are divided into various sections that apply to different situations. There are regulations that apply specifically to passenger rail platforms. A common standard uses the platform height above the top of rail as the basis for determining the clearance required from the centerline of the track. As an illustration, if the platform is no higher than 8 in. at the greatest height, then the required side clearance is 4 ft 8 in. However, if the platform is more than 8 in. but less than 4 ft above top AAR Plate C Loading Gauge (4’ Platform) Typical US Bi-Level Commuter Car Loading Gauge (4’ Platform) AAR Plate C Loading Gauge (8” Platform) Typical US Bi-Level Commuter Car Loading Gauge (8” Platform) Figure 2.9. Commuter passenger car loading gauges with Oregon Department of Transportation side clearance standards.

16 Manual to Improve Rail Transit Safety at Platform/Vehicle and Platform/Guideway Interfaces of rail, the clearance requirement becomes 7 ft 3 in. from the centerline of the track. Platforms that have a height larger than 4 ft are required to have the general standard clearance of 8 ft 6 in. from the centerline of the track. The height of the floor of the rail vehicle will dictate the height of the platform above the rail. This in turn will determine the clearance standards. It is important to note that the clearance standards do not apply to passenger sidings or gauntlet tracks that are designed solely for pas- senger car use. Both strategies were used in various parts of the country to achieve level boarding while ensuring that legal clearances are met (32). As an example, Figure 2.9 shows side clearance standards set forth by the Oregon Rail Division of the Oregon DOT and the resulting gap for both a typical Plate C rail car and typical bi-level commuter car (33). Other State Regulatory Agencies There are additional state regulating agencies such as those in Colorado and California. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission oversee common carriers such as passenger transportation. The California Public Utilities Commission is the agency that regulates the amount of horizontal gap required for freight car clearance. In the case of California, the regulations required by the California Public Utilities Commission are similar to those of Oregon (32). Railroad Track, Station, and Train Car Maintenance The manual titled the FRA Approach to Managing Gap Safety emphasizes the importance of proper maintenance of the track, stations, and train cars to ensure that the gap is minimized. This manual recommends regular inspection of the platform edge to ensure that the surface remains sturdy and the gap is minimized. Track maintenance can affect gap distances, and frequent use by passenger and freight trains can cause track geometry and position to change. Regular track inspections should be conducted to ensure that changes in alignment, cross level, and curvature do not increase the gap distance or cause the cars to come in contact with the platform (9). Vehicle maintenance is also an important factor to overall safety. Failures with various components such as wheels, trucks, and self-leveling systems can cause excessive gap issues. The vehicle suspension system controls the vertical and to a certain extent the horizontal gaps.