Sec. 9203. Standardization of passenger equipment and platforms
275 words·~1 min read·
/bill/113/hr/4834/ih/section-9203A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Where level-entry boarding platforms are required by law— new or rebuilt passenger platforms in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont shall be constructed and maintained at 48 inches above top of rail; new or rebuilt passenger platforms in Maryland and Pennsylvania shall be constructed and maintained at 15 or 48 inches above top of rail, in coordination with the lowest floor height of equipment serving the platform; new or rebuilt platforms at Union Station in Washington, DC, shall be built and maintained to facilitate level boarding for the equipment serving the platform; all other new or rebuilt passenger rail platforms shall be built and maintained at 15 inches above top of rail; and it is the intent of Congress to expressly preempt State and local laws, regulations and rules on passenger platform height and setback.
A railroad owner may seek an exception to the passenger platform height requirements by presenting information to the Federal Railroad Administration of an actual conflict between the requirement and an existing piece of equipment operated past the platform location. New or rebuilt passenger rail equipment used on any route with a platform excepted under this subpart must be equipped with an onboard lift. A railroad owner may seek an exception to the passenger platform height requirements by presenting information to the Federal Railroad Administration that it will provide level-boarding at a height other than that provided in subsection (a).
A system that is in operation on the date of this enactment that provides a level-boarding platform at a height other than those described in subsection
(a)may continue to provide such service.