Separated multi-purpose spaces at MÁV

Balancing Space: Addressing Conflicts Between Bicycles, Wheelchairs, and Strollers on Trains

Bicycles are on trains usually carried in multi-purpose areas intended for bicycles, wheelchair users and passengers with strollers. This entails in case of high demand a risk of conflicts between these user groups, since they are „competing” for the same space. While this problem can be addressed by transport rules another approach is to (partially) separate these user groups.

Dedicated Multi-Purpose Areas on Hungarian Stadler KISS Trains

Hungarian National Railways (MÁV) has chosen the latter approach – i.e., to partially separate user groups of multi-purpose spaces on its fleet of modern double-decker electric multiple units manufactured by Stadler (product name: Stadler KISS).

These trainsets are used in commuter train services i.a in and around Budapest. There is distinctive feature with regard to multi-purpose spaces is, that they comprise two such spaces per trainset, one of it intended for the use by bicycles and passengers with strollers and one restricted to wheelchair users and passengers with strollers. By doing so, one of the multi-purpose spaces is exclusively dedicated to the prioritized user groups of wheelchair users and passengers with strollers. The respective spaces are marked accordingly with pictograms on the doors and inside the trains.

Benefits and Limitations of User-Group Separation in Multi-Purpose Train Spaces

The practice is considered as good, because it is hugely reducing the risk of conflicts between user groups. By doing so, it also helps to maintain a positive attitude and acceptance of bicycle transport on trains by the general public and by passengers, which do not carry bicycles themselves.

On the downside it should be noted, that adherence to the bicycle ban in one of the multi-purpose spaces is limited; especially in cases of high demand for bicycle transport, the multi-purpose space reserved for wheelchair users and passenger with strollers is occupied by bicycles as well. This problem should be addressed, e.g. by marking on the outside and inside explicitly, that bicycles are not allowed in that space (instead of only marking, which user groups are allowed to use it).

It should be noted, however, that the provision of two multi-purpose spaces per trainset is quite „generous”, since it considerable reduced seating capacity. Thus, the solution can probably economically be justified primarily with larger trainsets with high overall capacity. The double-decker trainsets operated by MÁV have an overall seating capacity of approximately 600 passengers and are therefore quite large.