TRAIN EVACUATION BRIDGE

TRAIN EVACUATION BRIDGE

What is a train evacuation bridge? We have all no doubt watched the news from time to time and seen footage of a broken down train and seen the undignified spectacle of passengers exiting down a narrow wooden ladder, often during the busiest times.

This being early morning and evening, the commuter hours, many passengers will be dressed smartly for work, men in suits with highly polished shoes and ladies often in high heels, all clambering down a 450mm wide wooden ladder onto unstable, unprepared ground - often littered with discarded track material left by maintenance teams. Also consideration has to be given to the third rail, so put all this together you have an extremely hostile environment.

Another example of why an evacuation bridge is required: Imagine it's a July day and a train breaks down. It's 25º outside but, once power goes, the air-conditioning fails and the temperature increases. Passengers can't open the window or doors and it can easily reach 100º inside the train. Passengers could be in the train for hours - only recently a train was stuck for 6 hours, passengers were without food or water for the duration and, in one incident, windows were smashed and people climbed out.

So the solution we have been working on with operators is to bring a rescue train along side the disabled train. Once alongside, the bridge will be sued to move the passerngers onto the rescue train. The bridge has been designed to be wide enough and with and with a SWL to take ane electric wheel chare with a 20st personThe bridge has been designed to be wide enough and with a SWL to take an electric wheel chair. Currently there is no provision made to evacuate wheel-chair passengers.

Talk to our expert team on 01483 415 410