Special compartment for passengers with disabilities is equipped in the Baikal train car

Traveling by rail for people with disabilities has now become much easier, special cars have appeared on the Baikal route, adapted for wheelchair users and blind passengers. They have wide corridors, handrails, a call button for the conductor, Braille, and a microchip card to open the compartment. The article explains how these cars are arranged and why their number is planned to increase soon.

A wheelchair is no longer an obstacle to traveling by train. In these special cars, people with disabilities can reach resorts, vacation spots, and rehabilitation centers.
The entire procedure takes about a minute. The conductor is informed in advance at which station the disabled passenger will board. These special cars are intended not only for wheelchair users, but also for blind passengers. All information can be read using the Braille system.
Such cars are produced by the Tver Carriage Works. In designing them, all nuances were taken into account - the corridor was made wider, and the toilets were equipped with special handrails. And one more innovation: passengers are issued a card with a microchip - only with its help can the compartment door be opened.
- This year we received two such new cars. An SV car and a service car. They will run on the "Baikal" train. The cars are modern, taking into account all current requirements, says Dmitry Zhariev, head of the East Siberian Passenger Service Directorate.
The compartment is designed not only for the disabled passenger, but also for their companion. One person with a disability will not be allowed into the car alone. In addition, a ticket can be purchased only with documents confirming disability.
- This car is intended both for ordinary passengers and for disabled people. But disabled passengers require more attention, says Elena Igrusha, conductor of the special car.
That is why these compartments are equipped with a button to call the conductor. There is also a TV, air conditioning, and special lighting here. And not only that.
- We can raise the head if we need to - the legs. Depending on what incline we need.
For now, the "Baikal" train has only one special compartment for people with disabilities. But by the end of this year, says the management of the East Siberian Railway, there will be many more of them. And such cars will begin running not only on one route. And in 2010, suburban electric trains are also planned to be equipped with special lifting devices.