Regional railway company becoming accessible and a role model for the whole country

LKA, the railroad company of the Łódź region in Poland, launched a comprehensive accessibility programme, including online sign language interpreters and induction loops on trains. Other rail companies are following suit, and representatives of the LKA are involved in developing national guidelines.

Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna (LKA), the railway company of the region of Łódź, Poland, started a customer accessibility programme in 2014 targeting persons with diverse disabilities. For example, LKA is using accessible transport cars where platform and train doors have the same level, and induction loops and sign language translation services are broadly available. Other railway companies in Poland are following the example of LKA, and its staff are involved in developing national guidelines.

Problems Targeted

People with disabilities in Poland cannot freely access train travel due to limited assistance and inaccessible rolling stock.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna (LKA) offers an accessible travel experience to its passengers with disabilities by providing wheelchair lifts, wide doors, accessible website, and Braille signage, among others. People with hearing impairments can connect with an online sign language interpreter at any point in the journey – at cash and information desks in the Łódź station and on board of each train. In 2021, 14 of the 34 trains in its fleet had induction loops. Seat numbers are equipped with a QR code, Braille signage, NCF tags, as well as numbers in larger size to guide passengers with visual impairments to their reserved seat. LKA also follows the WCAG Guidelines for its website and online services and has implemented processes to ensure an accessible travel experience before, during, and after the journey. The company goes beyond the European Regulation (EC) No. 1371/2077 and does not request passengers with disabilities to provide a 48-hour notice prior to the start of their journey. Other railway companies are following the example of LKA, and LKA staff members are involved in a national project to develop guidelines for training, led by the Polish Rehabilitation Fund for People with Disabilities (PFRON).

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna is a limited liability company and uses European funds for purchasing accessible train carriages. By 2025 the company plans to provide more accessible information on its travel services for the elderly and for passengers with autism. Another focal point of LKA’s strategy concerns the accessibility of its office buildings (tactile flooring, orientation systems, and induction loops in conference rooms, among others).

Pictures

Facilitating individual mobility: this ramp enables people in wheelchairs to get off the train without any barrier

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THE STORY OF WANDA NASTAROWICZ, USER AND ADVISOR OF ŁÓDŹ AGGLOMERATION RAILWAY

“The most important thing for me is accessing information through audio and Braille.”

I belong to the group of people with visual disabilities since early childhood, and I am also a member of the older generation, having been born in 1954. I move independently with a white cane, with a guide dog, or with an accompanying person. For me, the ability to leave home on my own, to move around the city and beyond its borders, is extremely important. Whenever possible, I choose to travel by train. Since Łódź Agglomeration Railway started operating, my travels have become much easier. The most important thing for me is accessing information through audio and Braille. Convex seat markings allow you to find a place on your own. Braille buttons next to doors and in the toilets allow me to travel independently. I am very proud that I was part of this project, actively participating in marking 20 trains with Braille signs. I also participated in the training of the train crew. This was very important for the mutual understanding between passengers and crew members, and for ensuring their full professionalism towards blind passengers.