BELGIUM: National operator SNCB has unveiled the first of 130 double-deck coaches to facilitate wheelchair users travelling without assistance.
The coaches have been ordered to enable every rake of M7 stock to include an accessible vehicle. ‘In addition to safe and comfortable transport, accessibility is also an integral part of our policy’, SNCB CEO Sophie Dutordoir said when the coach was unveiled at Alstom’s Brugge plant on February 15. ‘This goes further than providing assistance. We want our travellers — including those with reduced mobility — to be able to travel independently by train, from the purchase of their ticket to their final destination.’
The initial M7 order placed in 2015 included multifunctional cars for passengers with reduced mobility. However, the height difference between the doors and existing platforms meant that some passengers still needed assistance. Dutordoir said this was a ‘missed opportunity’, and so independent access was taken into account when further vehicles were ordered in 2020. Deliveries are expected to run from the second half this year to 2026.
The design was developed in conjunction with disability groups. The coaches have an entry height of 760 mm, the standard for new platforms, with a sliding step to bridge the gap. Internal doors are wider, and there are additional handles and lower push buttons. There an accessible toilet, and an intercom for wheelchair users to request assistance.
SNCB’s public service obligation contract requires the number of accessible stations to be increased from 103 to 176 by the end of 2032, covering almost 70% of travellers.
All future trains will be ordered with accessibility features as standard.
