Colour coding - front ends and doors...

[starrymarkb]

Secondly, why are passenger doors colour marked ruining the streamlining of all our trains? I am not aware of sight impaired people all over Europe, Asia or anywhere else being up in arms because their trains don't have colour coded doors in many instances. Everyone else around the world seems to cope just fine without it. Like the yellow front ends on trains, why are we so different? (and I don't mean that in a good way). There always seems to be someone who has come up with nonsense to justify a non position in some civil service department somewhere!

They are becoming more common on the continent.

DB Regio stock has white doors
The new TGV livery has red doors
ODEG has Yellow doors
New SBB/BLS stock seems to have contrast doors (as does some of the private railways).
Iarnród Éireann and NMBS have both yellow ends and contrast doors.
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Actually - all SNCF stock is getting the contrast doors as the new livery rolls out..

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gare_de_l'Est_-_mars_2013_-_Bibi_683_carmillon_(3).JPG
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gare_Viroflay_RG_-_mars_2013_-_Z_8800_carmillon.JPG

 

[Helvellyn]

Not just in Europe that you can find contrasting colour doors (and even yellow ends): -

• CityRail Tangara suburban EMU in Australia.
• CountryLink XPT unit (Australian HST).
• Tranz Metro FP Class EMU used on suburban services from Wellington, NZ.
• Irish Rail CAF DVTs and Mark 4 stock.

 

[GatwickDepress]

I actually quite like the coloured ends and contrasting doors.

Fashion passes, style is forever.

 

[Dstock7080]

LU policy does not normally allow track workers line side with trains running, so they don't need the relevant precautions. All the LU inter working with NR lines depends on various derogations from group standards.

In open sections of conventional Lines (non-ATO) Track access can be granted at anytime in daylight hours for; routine track inspections, vegetation control, hiking etc.

 

[DarloRich]

I actually wondered for a time about the yellow ends but, since getting a seat right at the very front, I have seen the benefit.

Believe it or not, in extremely bright sunlight the headlight is not always visible on trains at a distance. Only newer stock or trains refitted with the latest standard of headlight seem to show brightly enough. All other train headlights seem to be overwhelmed by environmental conditions. When conditions are like this the yellow fronts do indeed stand out very well indeed.

Exactly - try been at the track level. The yellow ends do help you!

As for contrasting doors, surely it just needs a bit of sensible design to incorporate the colours into the overall scheme. I think there has to be so many "colour points" or shades between the contrasting colours used on the body of the train and on the doors - it isn't really a problem.

 

[Alfie1014]

The requirement for contrasting colour doors originated in the UK as part of the consultation on DDA and RVAR back in the early 2000s. There was considerable consultation with DPTAC (the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee), RNIB and many other user and disabled groups on how the DDA and RVAR should be applied to the railways. And in fact many of the UK requirements on accessibility were considered forward thinking and have been subsequently incorporated into EU legislation, not the other way round.

 

[Boothby97]

I'm also always surprised that several of the 59/0s and /1s get away with so little yellow on the front end- they always seemed like an anomaly.

I feel the same about Pendolinos when some run around without their coupling cover.

Thanks, Sam

 

[SeanG]

Contrasting doors obviously help the partially sighted traveller.
But surely they also help every traveller, as if its busy, it is far easier to see where the door is

 

[swt_passenger]

I'm also always surprised that several of the 59/0s and /1s get away with so little yellow on the front end- they always seemed like an anomaly.

As I mentioned earlier, the Rail Group standard requirement is for a small patch, specifically only for a 1 sq metre patch. The minor dimension is supposed to be at least 0.6 m and if that is the case would need the longer dimension to be 1.67 m.

AIUI therefore, the key question about the 59s is whether the vertical dimension is correct - I suspect it is marginal but there won't be much in it, if it's within a couple of centimetres they may have a derogation, but the width of the yellow band is such that the overall area is well over the requirement.

 

[whhistle]

Although to be fair, there is no point in having yellow front ends when the trains just end up getting dirty anyway.

Why have they chose that particular shade of yellow? Why not the luminous version used on low bridges? There isn't that much reflection from headlights for oncoming train drivers.

 

[jopsuk]

And in fact many of the UK requirements on accessibility were considered forward thinking and have been subsequently incorporated into EU legislation, not the other way round.

People forget that the UK often leads on things the EU does.

 

[edwin_m]

Although to be fair, there is no point in having yellow front ends when the trains just end up getting dirty anyway.

Why have they chose that particular shade of yellow? Why not the luminous version used on low bridges? There isn't that much reflection from headlights for oncoming train drivers.

The surface used on bridges, road signs etc (and also rail signs) is retroreflective not luminous. That means it reflects light back in the direction it came from, which makes the signs visible to car and train drivers at night when they have their headlights on.

The yellow paint on train fronts is intended to make the train more visible to trackworkers, who are unlikely to be shining powerful lights in the direction of the approaching train. In any case at night the headlight is fully effective so neither luminous or retroreflective paint is necessary. It is not intended to make the train visible to the drivers of other trains, since 99.99% of the time the train would be on another track and having it light up with retroreflective surface is a potential distraction from lineside signs and signals.

 

[transmanche]

People forget that the UK often leads on things the EU does.

And in fact many TOCs introduced liveries with contrast-colour doors years before they were required to do so by law.