Platform height requirements for new stations

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T

TML

Service Attendant
Joined
Jun 23, 2009
Messages
106
I recently read a detailed study of Berkshire rail service and it noted that in order to add a stop in Chatham, NY (presumably at the existing Union Station), a new platform would have to be constructed to meet ADA requirements, which is a major reason why this stop hasn't been added to Amtrak's stop inventory. This begs the question:

-Is the implication that all new Amtrak stops would require high-level platforms?
-Current Superliner cars are incompatible with high-level platforms, so what would be the platform height requirement for new stations to be served by trains operating with Superliner cars?
 
TML said:
I recently read a detailed study of Berkshire rail service and it noted that in order to add a stop in Chatham, NY (presumably at the existing Union Station), a new platform would have to be constructed to meet ADA requirements, which is a major reason why this stop hasn't been added to Amtrak's stop inventory. This begs the question:

-Is the implication that all new Amtrak stops would require high-level platforms?
-Current Superliner cars are incompatible with high-level platforms, so what would be the platform height requirement for new stations to be served by trains operating with Superliner cars?
Click to expand...
Perhaps a mini high platform would be sufficient. That is how most of the stations on the Downeaster are configured:
freeport station.jpg
Freeport station, from Google Street View
 
Current US DOT rules require level boarding for the full length of the trains in use on the route. Thus, platform height varies. However, there is a major exception for platforms on tracks owned by private freight railroads (if the specific track is used by freight). In these cases platforms must be constructed at 8 inches above top of Rail. Based on this, most new passenger services on private freight railroads have put their platforms on separate station tracks.
 
An interesting case arises when in an exclusively passenger railroad a station is served by both low level and high level boarding trains. Examples are all Amtrak stations around Orlando (shared with SunRail) and Miami (shared with TriRail). Additionally now there is shared stations coming up between TriRail and Brightline, which may present the same challenge. Also Orlando Airport station will host both Brightline (high floor) and SunRail (low floor) at some point.

There are two approaches used:

1. Just low level platform with provision for lifts either provided externally or deployed from the train for high floor cars. IIRC everything in Miami except Miami Central follows this approach.

2. Separate platforms for low and high level.
  • Potentially all stations shared between Amtrak and SunRail in the Orlando area, except Winter Park could go this way, though for now none do. But all shared stations except Winter Park have separate platforms (or segments of platform) used by Amtrak that are not shared with SunRail.
  • Oralndo Airport station will have separate high and low level platform for Brightline and SunRail. No shared platform.
  • Miami area in general has only shared low level platforms between TriRail and Amtrak.
  • Miami Central has separate non-shared platform - high level for Brightline and low level for TriRail.
  • Along the NE Corridor (TriRail on FECR) the plan appears to be to have separate low and high level platforms.
Apparently all of this is compliant with whatever FRA interprets as the rules these days since they have signed off on all this.
 
Denver has a platform that's low level on one side for use by Superliner trains and high level on the other for the Silverliner Vs that go to the airport. A similar platform at the North Station T stop in Boston, one side is low level for the Green Line, other is high level for the Orangle Line.
 
At Orlando in the past have observe CSX freight use the Amtrak station platform for Amtrak. That use might preclude a high platform there in the future?
 
Last edited:
west point said:
At Orlando in the past have observe CSX freight use the station platform for Amtrak. That use might preclude a high platform there in the future?
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There are other tracks available for them to use, so this should have no effect. They can just use the other tracks which have no platform , and that would be necessarily only for out of gauge loads, of which I have never seen one at Orlando in years. Remember, no through freight is allowed through Orlando anymore. Only local deliveries, and those can be fed in via the non-platform tracks.

Similarly at Kissimmee out of gauge freight will have to be sent on the track that does not have the Amtrak platform should there develop a high level platform. Of course the HL platform would be bisected by a grade crossing at Kissimmee too.
 
Palmland said:
Interesting- why is that?
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Well strictly speaking actually CFRC can allow whatever it wants, but it can deny running through freights as part of the agreement that also allows CSX to not allow passenger trains via Ocala. But the possibility remains that CFRC wants to make some money on the side running a few freights. In any case they do not have to run on platform tracks through Orlando in case they have oversized loads.
 
That makes sense and also explains why they did allow a through freight a few months ago when the Ocala line was out of service because of a derailment.

But, as you say, if there was a possibility of increasing CSX usage charges they would probably go for it. The line is hardly well used north of Debary with 3 passenger trains each way and a local freight on a portion.
 
MARC Rider said:
Denver has a platform that's low level on one side for use by Superliner trains and high level on the other for the Silverliner Vs that go to the airport. A similar platform at the North Station T stop in Boston, one side is low level for the Green Line, other is high level for the Orangle Line.
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Actually the platform at North Station is at one level but the track height relative to the platform varies so that you end up with floor level boarding on the Orange Line but have to use steps to board Green line cars, except the low floor Type 8's.

Another example of 2 level boarding at a station is Wilmington where there is I believe still a low level platform used at times by SEPTA trains, and high level for Amtrak.
 
AmtrakMaineiac said:
Actually the platform at North Station is at one level but the track height relative to the platform varies so that you end up with floor level boarding on the Orange Line but have to use steps to board Green line cars, except the low floor Type 8's.

Another example of 2 level boarding at a station is Wilmington where there is I believe still a low level platform used at times by SEPTA trains, and high level for Amtrak.
Click to expand...
There are 4 platforms at Wilmington, but they never use one of them. That is a low level one on the north side of 3 Track.
3 Track and 2 Track are boarded via a high level island platform.
The sb SEPTA trains that serve two stations in Newark use 3 Track. All nb SEPTA trains use 1 Track. The platform is both low and high with the high level boarding area on the west end of the platform.
 

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