Patent ID: 6640728
Filing Date: 2003-11-04
Classification: B61D

Abstract:
An apparatus comprising:a rail passenger car having a door assembly formed of an upper door section and a lower door section fixed to the upper door section, the door assembly being slidable in the rail passenger car in an opening direction; a support member, the support member being located on an interior side of the door assembly and being moveable with respect to the door assembly along a direction substantially parallel to the opening direction; and a stairwell platform hingedly attached to the rail passenger car and movable between an upper position permitting low level access via stairs and a lower position of engagement with the support member permitting high level access above the stairs, wherein the upper door section remains fixed to the lower door section when the stairwell platform is engaged with the support member, such that the door assembly slides as a single unit when the stairwell platform is in the upper position and when the stairwell platform is in the lower position.