On May 18th, the President of France, Mr Jacques Chirac and the President of the SNCF (the French Railways) Mr Louis Gallois launched a new programme at the Montparnasse train station, entitled “Test Laboratory for Access”.

Now for the first time in France, disabled passengers will be able to test live and give their opinion on the different access solutions being developed to facilitate access to the train station and to the trains. The test period will last from May through to July of this year.

The definition of handicap includes physical, hearing or visual impairment, intellectual, psychological disabilities as well as those due to disabling disease. Other passengers may be temporarily unable to move or access train stations or services due to an accident (e.g. leg in plaster), or slow down in movement due to age or pregnancy. Travelers with any of these forms of handicap may need assistance within the train station, on the platforms, in the waiting areas or gaining access to trains.

To date, several solutions have been designed and put in place on the latest trains, including the TGV Mediterranée, so that people with a hearing disability can read train information and people in wheel chairs can open doors themselves. New sales booths have been installed at 0,95cm high to make sure people in wheel chairs can purchase or change tickets in comfort. Stairs and escalators have been specially marked in yellow paint and double rails have been put in place so that short people and children can hold onto the rail climbing or descending the stairs. New regional trains equipped with wheel chair ramps and seating reserved for wheel chairs came into service. Toilets can now also facilitate wheel chairs. Four logos, part of improved signage program, indicate where disabled travelers can go for assistance.

A new service called “Access Plus” will be introduced to assist disabled passengers to prepare and plan trips. Using a dedicated telephone number, callers will be able to reach the service by phone, fax or email and a hot line will be in operation from 6am to the departure/arrival of the last train.

A “Door to door” service is being tested in the Tours region where the disabled passenger is helped by the French Railways from their home to their final destination, covering all modes of transport in the course of the journey.

Some of the services that were tested include:

• Ground signage for travellers with limited or no visibility enables them to enter the station, follow the special lines to the sales booth, the waiting area, trains and the taxi station.
• Sound points can also be used to guide travellers at the major intersections in the big stations.
• A visual booth developed with France Telecom with a tactile screen has been installed in the the station, where the traveller can hear and see the agent, who can then help the person requiring assistance.
• Vocal services are also being studied which can be used on PDAs and via the Wireless network in the station.
• Other areas been tested include a secure means to ensure that disabled travellers can access trains from the platforms.