The Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014

Door controls (power operated)

4.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (6), no control device to enable a passenger to open or close a power operated door, other than a device to which sub-paragraph (3) applies, may be fitted to a rail vehicle unless—

(a) the centre of the control device is not less than 700 millimetres and not more than 1200 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, or flashes at no greater frequency than 2 hertz or 2 flashes per second, 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 power operated doors are closed by a member of the operator’s staff the illumination of each such control device must cease not less than 3 seconds before the doors start to close.

(3) Subject to sub-paragraph (4), no control device which causes a door to open automatically as a passenger approaches may be fitted to a rail vehicle unless—

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

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

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

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

(5) For the purposes of this paragraph the requirement for a door control device or, as the case may be, its immediate surround, to be illuminated means that that device must incorporate a dedicated source of illumination which is additional to any illumination provided in the rest of the vehicle.

(6) This paragraph does not apply to a door control device relating to a toilet door.