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A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail
tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or
alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having
multiple platforms. The term platform is used interchangeably to refer to the designated areas where trains stop (Platform 1, 2,
3, etc.), as well as to refer to sections of platform amongst the rail tracks. The latter may contain several "designated"
platforms.
Characteristics
A most basic form of platform consists of an area at the same level as the track, usually resulting in a fairly large height
difference between the 'platform' and the train floor. This would often not be considered
a true platform. The more traditional platform is situated at an elevated level relative to the track, but often lower than the
train floor, although ideally the platform should be at the same level as the train floor. Occasionally the platform is at a
higher level than the train floor. This may be the case when a train with a low floor level serves a station built for trains
with a higher floor level, for example at the Dutch stations of the DB
Regionalbahn Westfalen (see Enschede). Likewise, on the London Underground some stations are served by both District Line and Piccadilly Line trains, and the Piccadilly trains have lower floors.
A tram stop is often in the middle of the street; usually it has as a platform, a refuge
area of a similar height to that of the sidewalk (eg. 10 cm), and sometimes has
no platform at all. The latter requires extra care for the boarding and unboarding passengers and for the other traffic to avoid
accidents. Both types of tram stops can be seen in the tram network of Melbourne.
Sometimes a tram stop is served by ordinary trams (with rather low floors) as well as metro-like light rail vehicles with higher floors, and the tram
stop is provided with a dual height platform. An example can be found in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Similarly a train station may be
served by heavy-rail and light-rail vehicles (with lower floors) and also have a dual height platform. This applies for example
on the RijnGouweLijn, Netherlands.
Facilities
Part of the station facilities are usually on the platforms. Where the platforms are not situated within a station building,
often some form of shelter or waiting room is provided. The protection offered by such varies greatly – some being little more than a
roof with open sides, others being a closed room with heating or air-conditioning. Also there may be benches, lighting, garbage
boxes and static timetables or dynamic displays with information about the next
train, delays, etc. There are often loudspeakers as part of a public address system. The PA system is often found where dynamic timetables or
electronic displays are not present. A variety of information is presented, usually pertaining to departures, but often arrivals
also. As well as destinations and times, delays, cancellations, platform changes and train specific information may be
announced.
Types of platform
There are at least three distince types of platform, the bay platform, through platform and
island platform. A bay platform is one at which the tracks terminate, i.e. a dead-end or siding. Trains serving a bay platform must reverse in or out. A through platform, conversely, is the more
usual type of platform, located alongside tracks where the train may simply pull into the platform from one end, and leave
passing the other end. Finally, an island platform is surrounded on all sides by track. Usually this means that it has two
designated through platforms on it, one on either side. Limerick
Junction, in County Tipperary, Ireland, is a station consisting solely of an island platform (hosting two through and two bay platforms), with the
station also surrounded by track.
Platform safety
Platforms usually have some form of warnings or measures to keep passengers away from the tracks and moving trains. The
simplest measure is markings near the edge of the platform to demarkate the distance back from the platform edge that passengers
should remain. Often a special tiled surface is used as well as a painted line, to help blind people using a walking aid, and aid
in preventing wheelchairs from accidentally rolling too near the platform edge. A dangerous practice that sometimes occurs is
sitting on the edge of the platform, which requires being fast enough in withdrawing the legs when a train arrives.
Some metro stations have screens with doors between the platforms and the tracks. They
provide more safety; also they allow the heating or air conditioning on the station and the ventilation in the tunnel to be
separated, thus being more efficient and effective. They have been installed in most stations of MTR, Hong Kong, see picture.
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