The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) have given details of their new Silverliner V train including an access statement for wheelchair users. The trains have been designed under the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) and also through consultation with local Disabled People’s Organisations.

The access statement on the SEPTA website continues to list the onboard features of the trains:

• Train cars, door openings, and wheelchair berths are sized to accommodate ADAAG Common Wheelchair (30″ x 48″)
• Entrances located along the car, rather than at the ends, permit quick boarding and exiting by all, ambulatory or wheelchair users, and accommodate boarding from full high level platforms, low level platforms, and mini-highs.
• Audio and visual door closing alerts are provided.
• Accessible path into rail cars is marked on each car exterior with the International Symbol of Accessibility (wheelchair symbol).
• Each car features priority seating for persons with disabilities, appropriately identified.
• Two wheelchair berths are provided in each car, next to doors for easy access. At the request of the disability community, wheelchair spaces are located side by side so friends can ride together.
• Skidproof vehicle floors safely accommodate wheelchairs even when wet. The material used was field-tested by the disability community.
• Larger windows and in-car and external lighting give added light and enhanced visibility, as well as meeting the needs of riders with low vision.
• Cars feature automated, electronic audio and visual line, destination and station announcements and displays inside and outside cars. External speakers announce rail line and destination to customers waiting on the platform. These systems are synchronized using GPS.
• In the engineer’s cab and each car, diagnostic terminals governing car and train systems (ex. door openers, automated station announcements, HVAC) will log any malfunctions, display a fault light to alert crew members, and facilitate trouble-shooting and repair.
• At the request of the disability community, SEPTA uses bright yellow in our vehicles and facili-ties to alert and guide customers. Each new Silverliner car features glow-in-the-dark yellow striping down each side of the aisle to guide riders to emergency exits and yellow will be used to give visual cues throughout cars.
• Formatting of signage, notice boards and system information meets all ADA requirements.

SEPTA also have an Access Page regarding facilities on other services that they provide. Unfortunately, the SEPTA website doesn’t give any photos of the facilities or access for people with disabilities. However, there is a photo in the Philly.com’s article about the new train.