Need for a New Commuter Car Entranceway Design for Mixed High- and Low-Level Platforms

Serious problems result from the use of both high- and low-level station platforms on U.S. commuter railroads (especially common in the Northeast). These problems include long dwell times and resultant slower service, passenger (and employee) accidents and injuries, difficulties in complying with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements, increased train crew size, and problems accommodating freight trains on tracks with high-level platforms. Various partial solutions to these problems have been proposed, and many are being used. However, no solution deals effectively with all of the problems. The benefits of a single, comprehensive solution are identified, including improved service, increased ridership and revenue, meeting ADA accessibility requirements, and reduced costs. To indicate the importance of a solution to these problems, and to encourage thinking about solutions, some order-of-magnitude estimates of these benefits are developed. Finally, one design for dealing simultaneously with all of the problems is presented.