DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF PASSENGERS 

USING WHEELCHAIRS OR OTHERWISE MOBILITY IMPARED BETWEEN LEVELS 

ON NEW INTERCITY (AMTRAK) PASSENGER CARS.

APPLICABILITY:

This applies to New Bi-Level Intercity Lounge Cars built for Amtrak and any bi-level 

equipment used by successors to an Amtrak route acquired by another operating entity 

or company as sanctioned under PRIAA. Lounge means any car with a primary function 

that is to enhance the passenger experience beyond the purchased coach or sleeper 

accommodation. This requirement extends to any bi-level car, with or without food 

service, except diners, that has non-revenue seating available to all passengers on the 

train on a first come basis. Full service Diners with a lower level kitchen that is not 

designed for passenger use are not required to have built-in vertical access. While not 

considered true bi-level cars, single level cars traditionally known as “dome cars” that 

offer an elevated area designed for viewing scenery, with or without food service, must 

have a number of accessible seating spaces and vertical access to reach the viewing 

level. Accessible spaces in the dome car may be convertible for use by other 

passengers when passengers using wheelchairs are not present.

Suggested Additional Applicability: 

1. All bi-level Intercity Long Distance Lounge cars which have primary function that is 

enhanced by the ability to view out of the car and is designed to enhance viewing at 

the second level.

2. All bi-level Intercity Long Distance bi-level coaches.

3. All bi-level Intercity Long Distance sleepers. (Key points are the number of rooms 

accessible per car, the type of room, upstairs and downstairs etc.)

4. All bi-level Intercity Long Distance Diner cars. Accessible from the adjacent car or 

dining tables are provided in the Lounge car. (The entire lower level of the diners is 

consumed by the kitchen.)

Guiding Principles

1. Features providing access for people with disabilities must be equivalent to those 

provided others in terms of functionality and aesthetics, and must not segregate 

individuals with disabilities.

2. Accessible features should be the norm for everyone.

3. There may not be restrictions on using any facilities or features until the train is 

stopped.

4. Safety concerns must be balanced with the underlying civil rights principles of the 

ADA.

5. Establishing policy mandates will drive the development of improved generations of 

technology.

6. All train cars should be accessible.
7. Access Board guidelines should promote the development of technology, and not 

freeze current technology in place.

8. Every circulation path used by the public needs an accessible route.

9. We must consider the growing demographics (the graying of America) when we 

establish scoping for accessible features.

REQUIREMENTS

New intercity bi-level passenger trains have some means of transferring passengers 

using wheelchairs, or who otherwise cannot negotiate stairs, between the levels. The 

goal is to expand the full rail travel experience for passengers who might otherwise miss 

out on key features of train travel. The following features and requirements apply:

1. All vertical load bearing features designed with a safety factor of three

2. Accessible path from the vehicle entrance to the lift device

3. Accessible path from the lower level accessible spaces, restrooms etc. to the lift 

device

4. Accessible path from the lift device to upper level accessible spaces.

5. Lift device shall not require backing in or backing out.

6. Lift must function with or without Head End Power and include a manual function in 

the case of total power loss.

7. Appropriate electrical and or mechanical safety devices to insure that the lift cannot 

operate unless the user is safely aboard the lift.

8. Gates, doors, guards, etc. must include interlocks to insure safe operation yet have 

sufficient tolerance and latitude to prevent system faults due to train motion and 

normal wear of components.

9. Lift platform shall be the same size as required for wayside and car bourne lifts

10.The lift may be a vertical style or a stair lift but the lift may not impede the stairway 

use.

11.The lift must include a fold down seat and horizontal and vertical hand rails on at 

least one side of the lift “car”

12.If the lift does not allow for direct entrance then the dimensions for boarding the lift 

must be at least equal to the requirements for maneuvering a wheelchair into an 

alcove.

13.The lift must operate normally at the maximum track super elevation with the train 

stopped (approximately 7 degrees.

14.Lift must operate in emergency mode to within x degrees of the car’s rollover angle. 

(This must be studied to see how the movement within the car affects the vehicle’s 

center of gravity in extreme cases.) (The concept of this performance requirement 

is so that as long as a car is not on its side or in eminent danger of falling over that 

the lift can provide safe movement to the lower level)

15.The lift frame must be of sufficient strength or otherwise so designed and installed 

as to function when the car is at its maximum designed diagonal misalignment 

(end-to-end twist)

16.Gates, doors, guards, hand rails etc. must be designed to contain the maximum 

load required for the lift when subject to the FRA required loading of 4g vertical, 4g 
lateral and 8g longitudinal and remain functional after the event. (For FRA does this 

mean when the device is loaded to its maximum capacity?)

17.Emergency stop devices must be available on-board the device and on both levels.

18.The maximum travel time between levels is X seconds

19.The lift system should have soft starts and stops.

20.The lift system should have obstruction detection

21.The lift must work reliably whether the train is in motion or not.

ANCILLARY REQUIREMENTS:

1. Cars with upper level restrooms must have an accessible restroom if the car 

includes vertical access or is available by design from a car with vertical access.

2. Cars with vertical access with restrooms on the lower level are not required to have 

upper level restrooms. (This is stated because PRIIA bi-level cars have non-ADA 

restrooms on the second level and a reduced number of restrooms on the lower 

level. The net number of toilets remains the same and seating is expanded on the 

lower level and reduced on the upper level. The reason for restrooms on the 

second level is that negotiating the stairs is a growing problem for ambulatory 

passengers primarily due to age. If the upper level and lower level must have the 

accessible restrooms then the primary function of the car as an enhancement to 

travel is greatly reduced because the number of passengers that can use the car is 

reduced.)

3. The quantity of accessible spaces should be on one level or divided between levels 

but the final quantity should not be greater than cars without vertical access. 

Convertible seating should be used to maximize the available seating space when 

persons using wheelchairs are not present.

ECONOMIC RISKS:

1. Applying vertical access to non-revenue cars has limited economic impact and may 

in fact encourage passengers who cannot use stairs to choose the train for travel. 

The primary costs are any extra cost for the equipment and maintenance over time.

2. Applying vertical access to revenue cars, i.e. coaches and sleepers will have a 

direct affect in lost revenue capacity. The physical impact and corresponding fiscal 

impact must be reviewed prior to NPRM.

3. There is a very real possibility that the economics will no longer justify building new 

bi-level Intercity Long Distance cars. The advent of bi-level cars on intercity long 

distance trains is driven by multiple economic goals. The enhancement of viewing 

due to the extra height was nice but the bi-level intercity car came about just before 

the number of airline passengers surpassed train passengers and railroad were 

trying to maintain service. Bi-level cars allowed the railroad to increase the number 

of passengers per car. The capital and operating investment per passenger on a 

higher capacity car is lower and thus the profit (or loss reduction) is greater. There 

is a huge risk that the economic efficiencies of bi-level intercity cars will be lost to 

accessible features. This comment does not apply to Lounge cars as defined at the 

front of this document. A proper study should be made.
4. The details governing the construction of lifts should be done with guidance from 

requirements in the built environment with full consideration that weight and space 

are big concerns for rail cars. This does not mean that safety or utility is 

compromised but following requirements for the built environment could unduly 

consume space.

PHYSICAL RISK:

1. Dynamic factors during normal train operation will affect the operational reliability of 

the system. Unlike the built environment, railcars experience lateral, vertical, 

longitudinal and torsional movement. These movements can occur suddenly with 

no planning or warning.

2. The effects of train operation today at 90mph and at PRIAA specified speeds of 

125mph on the integrity and safety of a lift system are not known.

3. The compact environment of a passenger car coupled with the dynamic effects 

may present challenges for independent operation that need to be resolved.