Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001

Door controls

5.—(1) No control device to enable a passenger to open or close a power-operated door other than a device to which paragraph (3) applies, shall be fitted to a regulated rail vehicle unless—

(a) the centre of the control device is not less than 700 millimetres and not more than 1,200 millimetres vertically above an imaginary horizontal line extended from the door sill of the relevant doorway;

(b) the control device is operable by the palm of the hand exerting a force not exceeding 15 newtons;

(c) the control device or its immediate surround is illuminated continuously whenever it is operable;

(d) the control device contrasts with the surface on which it is mounted; and

(e) the control device is identifiable by touch.

(2) When the power-operated doors are closed by a member of the operator’s staff the illumination of each such control device shall cease not less than 3 seconds before the doors start to close.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4) no control device which opens a door automatically as a passenger approaches that door shall be fitted to a regulated rail vehicle unless—

(a) the door starts to open before any part of a passenger reaches a distance of less than 500 millimetres, measured horizontally, from the vertical centre of the line of the door surface;

(b) the door once opened, remains open for a period of not less than 5 seconds before it closes; and

(c) if, after the door starts to close, the edge of the door comes into contact with any part of a passenger the door opens again.

(4) If a control device, to which paragraph (3) applies, incorporates a photocell positioned above the door, the requirement imposed by paragraph (3)(a) will be complied with if the distance from the vertical line of the door is measured horizontally from any single point on that line not more than 300 millimetres above the floor.