1.0 Overview
As seen in Section 3.1.9, the route should be divided into a number of segments that could help vision impaired people to understand better the environment they are in. These segments serve as reference points and help vision impaired people to create an image of the space and understand where they are heading.
For mainline rail and metro stations, there are conventions in the station layout design that could be used as route segments. For example, most stations have:
- Interchange connections or surface transport, that allows passengers to connect to and from other modes of transport
- A forecourt outside the station with pathways that might lead to other modes of transport
- Multiple entrances with one usually designed to be the main entrance. Each entrance might provide a different way to access the concourse, e.g. via stairs, lifts or escalators
- The concourse is usually divided into the unpaid and the paid concourse, divided by ticket barriers
- Platforms, where passengers onboard and offboard from trains
- Station accommodation, that includes amenities such as retail outlets, toilets, lounges, private areas for staff etc.
As seen in Section 2.4 vision impaired people might identify various environmental elements as clues or landmarks along their route based mainly on tactile or auditory cues. Examples of landmarks that can be found in a mainline rail and metro station include:
- Escalators
- Lifts
- Stairs
- Ramps
- Tactile paving
- Pathway intersections
- Ticket gates
- Cash machines
- Ticket machines
- Info points
- Meeting points
- Toilets
Below are links to the guidelines for various environmental elements that can be found in a Mainline Rail and Metro Station.