Railway platform height is the built height – above top of rail (ATR) – of passenger platforms at stations. A connected term is train floor height, which refers to the ATR height of the floor of rail vehicles. Worldwide, there are many, frequently incompatible, standards for platform heights and train floor heights. Where raised platforms are in use, train widths must also be compatible, in order to avoid both large gaps between platforms and trains and mechanical interference liable to cause equipment damage.
Differences in platform height (and platform gap) can pose a risk for passenger safety. Differences between platform height and train floor height may also make boarding much more difficult, or impossible, for wheelchair-using passengers and people with other mobility impairments, increasing station dwell time as platform or staff are required to deploy ramps to assist boarding. Platform ramps, steps, and platform gap fillers together with hazard warnings such as "mind the gap" are used to reduce risk and facilitate access. Platform height affects the loading gauge (the maximum size of train cars), and must conform to the structure gauge physical clearance specifications for the system. Tracks which are shared between freight and passenger service must have platforms which do not obstruct either type of railroad car.
To reduce construction costs, the platforms at stations on many railway systems are of low height, making it necessary for passenger cars to be equipped with external steps or internal stairs allowing passengers access to and from car floor levels. When railways were first introduced in the 19th century, low platforms were widely used from the 1880s, especially in rural areas, except in the United Kingdom. Over the years, raised platforms have become far more widespread, and are almost universal for high-speed express routes and universal in cities on commuter and rapid transit lines. Raised platforms on narrow gauge railways can prevent track gauge conversion to standard gauge or broad gauge.
Height categories
Buses, trams, trolleys, and railway passenger cars are divided into several typical categories. Ultra Low Floor tram – Low floor tram – High floor tram – more than Low floor train – Train (in UK or narrow gauge) – Train (standard gauge (except UK) or broad gauge) – These are floor heights. The platforms can be much lower, overcome by onboard staircases.
Africa Algeria Typical Algerian platforms are above rail.
Kenya The SGR platforms are two standard heights of and above rail heads. The meter gauge platforms are .
Asia
China
China Railway platforms are classified into the categories of "low" , "medium" , "high" and "ultra high" (the latter two for most new and rebuilt platforms). Areas adjacent to broad gauge countries/regions, such as Xinjiang and Inner-Mongolia, are still equipped with low platforms. Under the concession period since late 2016, platforms on the southeastern corridor from Shenzhen to Ruili to be ATR, whereas the northern-, central-, and western-Chinese platforms to be ATR, are recommended.
Most CRH platforms are above top of rail, with the remainders being .
The proposed (Russian gauge) Rail North China platforms will be above rails.
Hong Kong Hong Kong's railway network consists of the local MTR network (including the former KCR), Hong Kong Tramways, and the Hong Kong section of the XRL high-speed line.
MTR network Platforms on the MTR are above the rail for the Tung Chung line and Airport Express, collectively known as the Airport Railway lines.Redevelopment of Kowloon Station, 1995, HKU Scholars Hub
The height of platforms on the Disneyland Resort line and the urban lines are . The urban lines include the Tsuen Wan line, Kwun Tong line, Tseung Kwan O line, Island line, and South Island line.
Former KCR network All platforms on the East Rail line and Tuen Ma line are above rail heads.Under the Wires to Lo Wu, The Railway Magazine, November 1983
The light rail system uses a platform height of above rail level.
High-speed rail line Trains at Hong Kong West Kowloon railway station travel along the XRL on China's high-speed rail system and so must be compliant with the platform height standard of above the rail.
India The two standard platform heights are and .
Indonesia The three standard platform heights are (low), (medium), and (high) above rail head. Most railway stations in Indonesia use low platforms.
Iran Iran's platforms are , and . Like in China, areas adjacent to broad gauge countries/regions such as the eastern regions such as around Mashhad and Zahedan, still equipped low platforms.
Israel Israel Railways platforms fall in the range between to above top of rail.
Japan
The Japanese National Railways (JNR) for many years used a triple-standard for its conventional (Cape gauge) lines: for long-distance trains (originally step-fitted passenger cars pulled by steam engines); for commuter trains (step-less electric multiple units at a time when long-distance trains were not); and shared platforms that could serve both with relatively little discomfort (roughly level with the step on passenger carriages but not too low to board commuter trains).
However, increasing electrification and the phasing-out of locomotive traction in favor of multiple units has made the distinction a matter of historical, rather than practical relevance. Recently, at Japan Railways Group stations in urban centers such as Tokyo and Osaka, whose lines were the earliest to be electrified, is the norm and lower-level platforms are generally raised to this height during station improvements or refurbishment. Elsewhere, such as Hokkaido and the Tohoku/Hokuriku region of Honshu, – and even platforms are still commonplace. As this represents a potential obstacle when boarding modern commuter trains, workarounds such as a step built into the floor of area-specific trainsets are often employed. Nevertheless, with accessibility becoming a greater concern as Japan's population ages, raising the level of the platform itself (in tandem with other improvements such as elevators and escalators) is seen as the most practical solution.
In at least one case, with the E721 series EMU used on JR East lines in the Tohoku region, the floor of the train itself is lowered to be nearly level to existing platforms. This makes level boarding feasible at many stations (and boarding more convenient at stations with the lowest platforms). However, this (along with a different standard of electrification) also makes through service southward to Tokyo impossible, and prevents them from running on certain through lines, such as the Senseki-Tohoku Line, since the Senseki Line portion uses the higher platforms (and DC electrification).
In contrast to the above standards, the standard gauge Shinkansen (Bullet Train) has, since its original inception, used only platforms. However, exceptions from this include the "Mini-shinkansen" Yamagata Shinkansen and Akita Shinkansen lines, which use platforms to maintain compatibility with conventional JR trainsets.
Most standard gauge non-JR commuter railways, such as Kintetsu Nara Line and Keisei Line, use platforms.
North Korea North Korea's platforms are standardized at only. In there, is the norm, lower-level platforms are already raised to this height.
South Korea Korail adopted platforms to operate KTX. Typically, older platforms are lower than 500 mm. For metro trains, higher platforms of are used. Nuriro trains use mechanical steps to allow both types of platform. Korail has a long-term plan to change platform standards to higher platforms; both KTX-Eum and EMU-320 are designed to use higher platforms.
Philippines
There are various platform heights for railway lines in the Philippines. For heavy rail and commuter rail systems such as the LRT Line 2 and the PNR Metro Commuter Line, most stations are generally set at . For the LRT Line 1 and MRT Line 3 which use light rail vehicles, the platform heights are at and , respectively. Future train lines such as the Metro Manila Subway and the North–South Commuter Railway will use the same heavy rail standard at ,B) TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS from while the PNR South Long Haul's platform height will be the Chinese standard of .
Previously, the Philippine National Railways had lower platforms prior to the 2009 reconstruction of its network. Some stations such as have its curb height platforms still intact as of 2020, while others such as and have platforms built during the early 2000s.
Taiwan Taiwan high-speed rail platforms are above rail.
In Taiwan, Taiwan Railway's platforms were tall and passengers must take two stair steps to enter the train. In 2001, however, the platforms were raised to , cutting the steps needed to one. Between 2016 and 2020, platforms were again raised to , and the unnecessary gap on trains were filled in.
Thailand Old railway platforms are usually less than 500 mm (20 in) in height. New platforms along double tracking projects, red line projects, and metro stations are built at height. Bang Bamru railway station is built with both high and low platforms.
Eurasia Kazakhstan In Kazakhstan, only Astana Nurly Jol station and Russian Railway's Petropavlovsk station have platforms. Almost everywhere else, the platforms are above top of rail.
Russia As of late 2015, there are three standard heights of platforms, which include: for long-distance trains (originally locomotive-hauled step-fitted passenger carriages); for direct-current only commuter trains (step-less direct current commuter electric multiple units at a time when long-distance trains were not); and for shared platforms that could serve both with relatively little discomfort (roughly level with the steps on passenger carriages but not too low to board commuter trains).
In some urban areas, such as Moscow and St Petersburg, served only by local traffic, use platforms for direct-current electric multiple units. Elsewhere, and even platforms are almost commonplace. In some cases, such as VR Sm4 of Finland, the floor of the train itself lowered to be nearly level to platforms. This makes level boarding feasible at some stations (and boarding less of a hassle at stations with the lowest platforms).
The proposed Indian gauge Indo-Siberian railways platforms will be above top of rail.
Turkey In Turkey, the standard platform height for commuter railways is and for mainline & high-speed railways it's .
Europe
European Union
The European Union Commission issued a TSI (Technical Specifications for Interoperability) on 30 May 2002 (2002/735/EC) that sets out standard platform heights for passenger steps on high-speed rail. These standard heights are 2002/735/EC, sections 7.3.4 and 4.2.5. There are special cases: for the Netherlands, for Great Britain, and for Ireland.
Channel Tunnel Platforms for Eurotunnel Shuttle are above rails.
Rail Baltica The European standard gauge Rail Baltica II platforms will be above rails.
Belgium Belgium has been using mixed type of platform heights (due to the age of the network, and the different companies running it before 1923). As of 2017 the most common platform heights for small stop places and stations are low platform heights of .
There is a plan to comply with the European TSI by raising all low platform heights to one of the European Standard Heights. Most stations will by then be equipped with platforms, and direct current EMUs dedicated platforms will be upgraded in their final version to . Some stations, or stopping points, already having platform heights will keep the platforms at these heights.
Finland In Finland, the current standard platform height is . Platforms built to the older standard are above top of rail.
The sole exception on the national railway network is the Nikkilä halt which has a platform height of 400 mm (15.8 in).
France