Velvet underground

London’s new underground trains boast more space, improved features and better access. Cathy Reay visited a mock-up to see how accessible they really are

‘S-Stock’, the fleet of trains set to replace those on several London underground lines, claim to be the most accessible of their kind.

Myself and my colleague Jamie had the chance to check out some of their access features at a session organised by London Underground for organisations of and for disabled people.

The first improvement I noticed was the colour-coding of the train’s exterior; a white strip around the red doors ensures that they stand out. Similarly, the colours are well contrasted inside, making shapes like grab poles more visible.

As the doors open, a yellow tread-bridge fills the gap between platform and door, removing the horrific possibility of trapping a limb and making life much easier for wheelchair-users.

But the best feature has to be the generous amount of space. Clearly-marked areas enable up to four wheelchairs to travel at any time, while there is also room reserved for pushchairs and other bulky items. The fold-up seats in these areas even have a slow-retract mechanism to prevent fingers getting caught.

For the first time, passengers can put their belongings under their seats, freeing up space in the aisles. And the carriages are no longer separated by doors. Instead, people can walk through to different areas of the train and stand in the extra space.

There have been some improvements for those with hearing impairments, too. Helpful display information panels (similar to those on overground journeys) show messages and destinations. Lights by the doors flash to indicate when they are opening and closing and, if the alarm system is triggered, lights and flashing messages will raise passenger awareness.

Following the message, passengers who need help must wait by the alarm for the driver to respond through the radio system.

But speech is not central to the culture of many deaf people, of course, and many of them cannot use speech or choose not to. My deaf colleague Jamie also suggested that this could be very distressing to those with hearing impairments, who would not be aware that the driver was trying to speak to them, unless this possibility was clearly outlined in writing near the alarm.

Other than this, the new underground trains look and feel much more safe, comfortable and, most importantly, accessible. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention one of the best features – air conditioning!