Handbook>Handbook for disabled traveller

RAILWAY SERVICE

We suggest disabled passengers to check the presence of:

• Trains with carriages equipped for disabled passengers
• Accessible railway stations
• Official schedules with departure/arrival time of equipped trains
• Assistance service at the arrival/departure station

Let’s analyse these aspects in detail:

1) Trains with carriages equipped for disabled passengers

Full accessibility of a carriage is granted by the following characteristics:

• step-free access to get on the carriage
• specially allocated wheelchair spaces
• Acoustic signals for blind people
• Visual signals for deaf people
• Disabled toilet

Several trains have all the above mentioned characteristics but train’s doors are not level with the platform. In this case, access to the carriage is granted by a lifting truck operated by the railway station’s staff (only where this service is provided).

2) Railway stations accessible to people with disabilities

A railway station is considered as “fully accessible” when it allows a disabled passenger to go by himself from the car park to the entrance and from the entrance to the main areas of the infrastructure: ticket office, waiting rooms, toilets and platforms.
Generally speaking, to reach the platforms, passengers have to use subways and they are not authorized to cross rail tracks.
Disabled passengers can use subways when there are lifts. Otherwise, they can get across the tracks by using a footbridge but, in this case, they need to be accompanied by the railway station staff.

3) Official schedules with departure/arrival time of equipped trains

The companies operating rail transport in Lombardy are: Trenitalia and Ferrovie Nord Milano.
Trenitalia has an official timetable where equipped trains are marked with the pictogram of the wheelchair. Disabled passengers using a wheelchair can travel only on these trains upon reservation of the assistance service.
The official timetable of Ferrovie Nord Milano  does not show equipped trains for disabled people: disabled passengers have to book ahead the assistance service then Ferrovie Nord Milano will check if the desired train is equipped for disabled people and the relative departure/arrival time.

4) Assistance service

By giving Tranitalia and Ferrovie Nord Milano advance notice, arrangements can usually be made for staff to meet you at your departure station.
This service must always be booked by passengers using wheelchair: it allows to use allocated spaces for disabled people and a lifting truck for getting on and off the carriage.
The staff can help the disabled passenger to move inside the station and when getting on and off the train thanks to a lifting truck.

TRENITALIA

FERROVIE NORD MILANO