RAILWAY STATION DESIGN (B.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 Followers

Raiway station Blog Archive

▼ 2009 (1)
History of railways ▼ September (1)
The industrial revolution is by and large considered to be the first Raiway station
landmark for the history of railway systems, Even before the industrial
revolution, man has tried to develop railways, though not as a system,
His efforts in the past had been to develop the individual components.
About Me
These were:
1) By 7000 BC, sledges were used for hauling, Soumik Mukherjee
2) By 3000 BC domesticated animals were made beasts of burden;
sails and wheeled vehicles developed, View my complete profile
3) By about AD 800-1100, modern horse harness and traps, and
nailed iron horseshoes developed.
4) In 1769 the first steam road vehicle was demonstrated by Nicolas
Cugnot in Paris.
With the beginning of the industrial revolution the railroad introduced
two innovations into land transportation. One was the locomotive,
which concentrated in a single unit -the pulling power of many horses.
The other, which made use of this increased power, was the practice
of linking many separate vehicles, or cars, into trains. Underlying
these two new elements was a third -the track, or road of rails. The
first time when railways as a system of tracks, locomotive and cars
was successfully demonstrated in 1808 when Richard Travithick
introduced the train called “Catch me who can.” Today, the track is still
the backbone of the railroads. It must be strong enough to support the
weight of the trains and smooth enough to offer minimum friction to
rolling wheels. Parallel rails of track perform a third and unique task:
they guide the trains as the vehicles move along the track.
According to history the first train to carry passengers exclusively in
Britain, travelled along the Liverpool and Manchester railway on 15th
September 1830. This was the first time when railway came up as one
system which has three parts:
(1) Railway itself which consisted of rails, locomotives and cars.
(2) Singling and technical department.
(3) Terminal where people wait for train and pay for the journey.
With the growth of railways, a few stations began to be built in Britain.
For instance, in 1852 the Battle station was built and in 1840-41 in
Brighton, the Sussex station was built by David Mocatta. Around 1843,
a station designed by John. C. Louden was built in Woburn,
Bedfordshire. From then on started the trend of designed railway
stations and this has continued through the ages till the present day.
In a way, the railway station has an interesting history. It started off as
a single pole among a number of trees and has developed through
history into a well defined platform with roof. One can also notice
today that the station actually starts off as a platform with a roof which
transforms into a complex building, cinema hall, shopping mall & what
not; and all these due to the technological advancements, social
changes & changes in the economical structure of the countries. An
interesting example to illustrate this is that, while in 1865, the St.
Pancreas station in Britain or any other station at this time, was
designed with cast-iron, in the 20th century the Waterloo station (also
in Britain), has been designed in a modern way with glass. Another
reason one can site for this drastic change is the technological
development in trains themselves -In I960 Japan invented the Bullet
train and in 19KK France made another breakthrough by introducing
another fast train system (TGV).
One of most important aspects of a railway terminal is its design.
Always, the design of a station building connects the viewer with the
period in history, when it was built. In some of the interior regions of
countries, the terminal was made to look like a house, fortress or
church etc. One may notice that the form of the railway station and
use of materials and finishes and the visual aspects are all dependent
upon the country, its climatic conditions, social structure economical
condition etc. For instance, in third world countries, stations have
never been designed until recently. They have developed on their own,
with the changes in functional requirements. On the contrary, in
countries like USA and Britain, most of the stations have been
designed by qualified / specialized people.
By the forties railway stations had become a thing of enormous pride
and importance and the railways became prestige conscious. All over
England buildings which were as impressive in dimensions as they
were artistic in design began to be built. In London were Euston a
Grecian-Ionic structure; St. Pancreas with its hundreds of highly
decorative pseudo- Gothic windows;-Paddington, looking like a palace
and representing a mixture of Italian and Arabesque design. Milan in
Italy is covering an area of 103 acres. In the USA, railway stations
have not only introduced novelty to design, bearing the impression of
an utilitarian age, but are in grandeur and magnificence, outstanding
achievements of modern times. Railway stations have been built
under and over ground in such cities as New York, Chicago,
Philadelphia, Washington and
San Francisco. They have huge concourse and waiting halls,
restaurants, arcades, cinema theaters, stairways, lifts, escalators and
a. maze of subterranean passages leading to distant openings into
streets, all representing a multipurpose utility, unknown in any other
part of the world.
In India station buildings vary, some are no more than a collection of
old wagons and coaches, while there are others as outstanding in
design, as magnificent in construction and as well provided in ordinary
comforts for passengers, as anywhere in the world. The average
railway station in India consists of the large brick structure providing
accommodation for offices, and a waiting hall for passengers. In
addition, according to the importance of the station or the pressure of
passenger traffic, provision is made for separate waiting rooms for
passengers of various classes, and for men and women, and for
refreshment rooms and restaurants,. The platforms, covered or
uncovered, vary in number and in dimensions, Separate station
offices, platforms, and sheds are generally provided to deal with goods
traffic. Overhead bridges and in recent times underground subways
enable passengers to cross from one platform to the other.
Definition of railway station
A railway station is defined as any place on a railway line where traffic
is booked and dealt with and where an Authority to Proceed is given to
the train. In some stations, only one of these functions is carried out
and accordingly these are classified as flag station or block station. In
case of flag station, only traffic is dealt with the and there is no
arrangement to control the movement of trains. In case of block
station, a train cannot proceed further without obtaining permission
from the next station and traffic mayor may not be dealt with. Most of
the stations on railway system perform both the functions indicated
above.
Purpose of a railway station
A Rail way Station is provided for one or more of the following
purposes:
(i) To entrain or to detrain the passengers.
(ii) To load or off load the goods or parcels.
(iii) To control the movement of trains.
(iv) To enable the trains to cross each other in case of single line
section.
(v) To enable the faster trains to overtake the slower trains.
(vi) To enable the locomotives to take fuel, water or coal.
(vii) To attach or detach coaches or wagons to and from the trains.
(viii)To collect food and water for the passengers.
(ix) To provide facilities for change of engines and crew/staff.
(x) To enable sorting out of wagons and bogies to form new trains.
(xi) To provide facilities for the stay of the passengers in case of
emergencies like floods and accidents etc. when traffic is disrupted.
Considerations for selection of site of a railway
station
(i) Adequate Land: There should be adequate land available for
station building not only for the proposed line, but for the future
expansion. The proposed area should also be free from religious
buildings.
(ii) Level area with good drainage: The proposed site should
preferably be on a fairly level ground with good drainage
arrangements. It should be possible to provide maximum permissible
gradient in the yard. In India maximum permissible gradient adopted
as 1 in 400, but 1 in 1000 gradient is recommended.
(iii)Alignment: The station site should preferably be located on a
straight alignment so that various signals can be visible clearly. The
proximity of station site on a curve presents a number of operational
problems.
(iv) Easy accessibility: The station site should be such that it is easily
Accessible. The site should be near the villages and towns. The
nearby villages should be connected by approach roads for the
convenience of the passengers.
(v) Water supply arrangements: While selecting the site, it should be
seen that the source of adequate water supply required for
passengers and operational need is available.
Facilities required at railway stations
A railway station is the gate-way through which people find their way
into a town or community. First impression is a lasting one and hence
there is the Importance of a well designed station building and its
surroundings, which should match with other civic amenities. While
service is the main consideration, the type and finish of a station
building should be, as far as practicable, in keeping with the best
standard of civic amenities available in that area. A big passenger
station should provide for facilities corresponding to anticipated
demands during at least the first 25 years of its life with provision for
future expansion. The facilities required at stations consist of the
following main groups:
(i) Passenger requirements: Such as waiting rooms and retiring
rooms, refreshment rooms and tea stalls, enquiry office and
reservation office, bath rooms and toilets, drinking water supply
arrangements, platforms and platform sheds and approach roads.
(ii) Traffic requirements: Such as goods sheds and goods platforms,
station buildings, Station Master's office and other offices, signals and
signal cabins, reception and departure lines and sidings, brake down
trains and arrangements for the same and station equipments etc.
(iii) Loco, Carriage and Wagon requirements: Such as Loco Shed,
watering or fueling facilities, inspection pits, etc.
(iv) Staff requirements: Such as rest houses for officers and staff,
running rooms for guards and drivers and staff canteens etc.
Classification of railway stations
Railway stations can be classified in various classes broadly from
three main considerations.
(i) Operational considerations: The stations are classified as Block
Stations and Non-block Stations. Block Stations are further classified
 as A class, B class and C class stations. Non-block stations are
classified as D class stations or flag stations.
(ii) Earnings considerations: Stations are also classified as per
conditions of annual passenger earnings. As per the considerations,
station has been classified in six categories viz. A, B, C, D, E & F
depending upon the passenger earnings.
(iii) Functional considerations: Stations are classified based on the
functions the stations are required to perform. Under this category;
stations are classified as Halt Stations, Flag Stations, Crossing
Stations or Way side stations, Junction Stations and Terminal Stations.
Station layout and design:
The station acts as an interchange between the systems. Here the
traveler experiences the transition between the train and the rest of
the world - the city, other transport systems such as buses taxi, and
the complexity of street life. Like the airport, the modern railway station
is an urban gateway making both entrances and departure.
To the Designers the station consists of six main elements:
· Railway track and signaling
· Platforms
· Circulation areas
· Ticket sales and retail spaces
· Post and parcel areas
· Station forecourt
Each has to be clearly defined for safety and ease of circulation
reason. With the connections evident through signing and good
design. Avoiding obstruction in platform areas by careful design helps
with smooth traffic or people.
1. The number of platform and their length is determined by the
operation pattern at the station (number of trains to be handled). A
greater throughput of train means more travelers to exploit in shops
and cafes in the station and greater passenger flow in the circulation
areas. The train length determines platform length. The width of
platform is a product of anticipated passenger density, usually
calculated at one passenger per square meter. Platform width has also
to accommodate non-traveling station users, disabled travelers and
parcel vehicles.
2. The density of the circulation areas is dependent upon a number of
factors-density of usage, ticket dispensing and control system, the
complexity of levels, whether passengers are regularly carrying
luggage, the fluctuation at peak times, and access needs for physically
challenged people. The circulation areas are zoned into:
I. Ticket and information areas
II. Waiting areas (for meeting passengers)
lIl. Dwell areas (for intending passengers)
IV. Cafes, Shops and Bookstalls
v. Telephone and office facilities
VI. Tourist information boards
3. Provision of both clarity and safety are prime consideration in
station design, for which the exploitation of architectural means (light,
space and structure) is often essential. Stairs, escalators, and lifts are
the means of changing from one level to another are integrated. This
can be achieved by establishing hierarchies of movement inside and
outside and relating these to the most activities.
Changing direction is as inevitable at stations as changing level.
Architectural cues can be employed to deflect movement.
Construction, materials and lighting are key elements to exploit, not
only to highlight the point where a circulation route changes angle, but
also to give recognition of where the deflected corridors or access stair
is going. A good design is one in which the passenger knows where to
go without the need to read signs. The role of structure (Column, wall
and root) takes on more than a constructional function; it has a
secondary role in giving meaning to the circulation pattern adopted.
EXTERNAL CIRCULATION:
Smooth connection in and out of the station is an important
aspect of customer Satisfaction. Traveler should be presented with
clear routes to pedestrian ways, access roads, car parks, taxi stands,
bus stops etc. Ideally these routes should be well covered, well lit and
safe to use. External signs and directional maps are also important.
Architectural means should be employed to signal the significant
access points, such that suspended canopy over main entrances,
Station layout should also ensure that sightline in major circulation
area are not obstructed. The width of the road needs to reflect the
relative importance within the function of the station. Pedestrian pat
should not be less than 1800 mm wide and should be kept free of
hazards such as litterbins.
Segregation of movements is important those arriving and
departing should not have to share a narrow entrance and
pedestrian, car and cycle movement should be zoned into distinctive
areas where the cross-flow occur, pedestrian should have clearly
recognized right of way- perhaps with the use a raised paving area.
The design of detail such as handrails, stairs, or ramp nosing should
such as by using contrasting colors textures and materials; they are
clearly discernible to those with disability.
The architectural quality of larger station is determined by
attention given to circulation areas, within the station and in its
environment. Paving design and planning are both important factors.
Block paved pedestrian routes and parking areas are preferably to
asphalt and trees mixed with ground cover planting are better masses
shrub planting. With external surfaces and planting attention next to
given to initial and long-term appearance, particularly bearing in the
mind maintenance cost and the explicability of materials.
Lighting is an important consideration for both amenity as well as
safety. A mixture of lighting is needed from lighting bollards
illumination pedestrian routes, to feature lighting around the station
entrance and street lighting for the station approach roads. Where
CCTV is in the operation, lighting level must be significantly higher; the
poles capable of mounting both lighting and cameras should be
installed. Directional signs, timetable boards and station map also
need supplementary lighting.
INTERNAL CIRCULATION:
Once inside the station, travelers need to be able to find their way
from the ticket hall to station without obstruction, frustration or
ambiguity. Progression through the main four zones of the station-
access and entrance, tickets and information, waiting areas, platforms
and trains- need to be clearly defined.
The most significant features such as ticket office need to be given the
strong architectural form. The language or design should signal
functional hierarchies. The width of the routes should reflect not just
scale of the movement but their symbolic role. Station entrance may
be wider than passenger flows alone will indicate ticket areas higher
than function alone dictates and platforms wider than is technically
required. Circulation through the station should achieve ease of
movement, comfort and speed.
As not all travelers are ambulant, movement needs to cater to all
mobility. The spatial experience of circulation areas should reinforce
the functional priority.
TICKET OFFICES:
Customer should readily be able to find their way to the ticket sales
areas. It is here that the financial transactions are made and hence
where travelers and the staff come in direct contact. The quality of
environment the ability to talk comfortably on a one to one basis, and
the layout of the ticket hall should also create favorable and reassuring
image.
Individual ticket positions where ticket sales and the supply of the
published information are dispensed should be designed so that they
can he served by a single queue. This saves on space and gives a
sense of privacy at the point of scale. A single queue also allows
waiting travelers to be given supplementary on formation in the form of
advertising or train timetable displays. Space for automatic ticket
machine should be provided.
Normally the station manager's office overlooks the sales floor for
efficient monitoring and supervision of the staff- customer interface.
The staff office behind the ticker screen should not br in evidence at
the point of sale, but screened from the customer view. As large
amount of cash are stored, question of security and safety of the staff
need to be considered, particularly at last stations.
Ticket halls should be spacious areas where the quality or materials,
finishes and lighting is of the highest specifications. Along with the
interior with the train, it is here that customer's perceptions of quality
are forged. Well-coordinated points, helps to establish the image of the
railway company.Consequently, ticket halls tend to employ more
expensive materials than elsewhere in the station, particularly right at
the point where cash is dispensed.
COMMERCIAL AREAS:
Shops and restaurants within station areas serve customer needs and
add greatly to the railway company's revenue. It is important that a
good balance of commercial facilities is providing without jeopardizing
the efficient running of the station. There are spaces, hierarchical and
station management issues involved in this balance.
Signage of the retail units is often a problem. The standardized logos
of many retail names can disturb the harmonized signage of the
stations, where traveler's information should be paramount. It is often
the case that shop signs prove the most visible. Another problem
concerns the use of space outside the retail units. Many shops and
cafes in the station adopt this space as their own, sometimes-
jeopardizing movement along the concourses. Other facilities like
telephone booths, postboxes etc. may be located near circulation
routes. They are placed best as alcoves just outside main
passageways rather as islands that passengers have to negotiate.
Litter too, deposited around fast food outlets posses hazard to
travelers and raise an issue of the responsibility of removal of refuse.
A solution is to insist that all retailers use well marked plastic cups and
bags, thereby helping to identify the offending material.
PLATFORM SHELTERS:
 Station canopies need to protect as far the edges and signal sightlines
permit. With curved platform layouts, roofs cannot usually project to
the same extent as with the straight platforms. About 50% of platform
lengths are normally covered, the remaining being open with separate
station shelters provided at every carriage length or so.
Preventing water penetration is an important feature of station safety.
Floor finishes can become dangerous when wet. Where water can be
driven in around the edge or canopies, care should be taken to specify
finishes that are non slip even when saturated. The structure of
canopies, shelters and enclosures is what gives many stations their
characteristic appearance. The grid of columns and beams, panels of
glass, cladding establishes the backcloth for other station activities.
The columns and beams have both an aesthetic and a practical role.
They give stations their sense of direction on foot, their rhythmic
spacing helps establish relationship between station and train design.
TOILET:
Although most trains have their own toilets their provisions in stations
is an important measure of customer satisfaction. Toilets need to
function well, look good and kept clean. Good appearance can help to
deter vandals, who appear to be attracted to the cheap and showy
within stations. For this reason toilets are normally extensively
detailed, with hardwoods, ceramic tiles, and good quality door
furniture's specified. Better quality materials tend to be vandal proof,
than cheaper ones, and make the task of maintaining good
appearance and cleanliness easier.Where possible natural light and
ventilation greatly increases the cost and risk from vandalism.
The planning of toilets should separate WCs from sanitary zone with
spacious internal spaces. Queuing space away from circulation areas
should he proved at the busier stations. Soap dispensing hand
ACCESS FOR CHALLENGED PEOPLE:
There are many forms of physical and sensory disability that station
need to cater for. Many travelers have limited mobility, vision or
hearing, which affect their ability to use station facilities and board
trains. Station should be designed so that people can travel by train
with ease and comfort dignity and safety. Disabled travelers represent
an important market for railway companies, and providing their needs
projects of favorable image for other customers. Also, the special
standards needed for disabled passengers raised the general level of
provision for all.
Type measures to ease access for disabled people at stations are:
ž Providing lifts to supplement stairs
ž Increasing width of routes and doorways
ž Increasing the level of lighting especially at entrance and staircases
ž Using textured paving to define safe limits
ž Installing clear warning and directional signs
ž Providing additional hand rails for staircases
ž Providing special ticket counters for disabled
ž Providing disabled toilets and telephones
ž Providing screen and barriers that are solid at the ground level for
detection by people listing canes
INFORMATION SIGNS:
Rail journey often involve passengers changing trains to reach their
destination. Timetable information, expected arrival of trains elc. need
to be presented in a coherent and organized fashion. There are three
main ways in which information reaches travelers -
· By poster display of main time tables
· By electronic screen for imminent train movements
· By voice announcements
Information screens illuminated displays and announcement keep the
passenger waiting at platform informed of the arrival and departure of
trains. Many travelers will seek the information in the ticketing
concourse. Poster display and leaflet are normally the first point where
the travel information is sought. Main indicator board provides
information in the waiting and commercial zones. Smaller electronic
board at platform entrance and food court supplements the main
indicator boards. Travelers making connection will normally search out
the full timetable monitor, which, place near to the waiting areas,
provides more extensive information about the variety of destination.
The three main means of giving information at the station are
dependent upon the provision of well- sited clocks.
STATION FACILITIES AND STADARDS:
The position of a particular within a category is a question both of
location and of the throughput of passengers.
The main facilities to be considered at the Railway Terminal as follows:
· Waiting Concourse
· Travel Indicator Boards
· Retail and Refreshment shops
· Travel Centre
· Ticket Hall
· Parcel Depot
· Toilets, including facilities for disabled people
· Security point
· Telephones and Business Area
· Suburban rail, Bus, Taxi and Metro Interchange
· Tourist Information Centre
· Staff accommodations
· Yatri Niwas
Relationship between Indian masses and railway
ž 16th April, 1853...............The Beginning
ž The first railway on Indian sub-continent ran over a stretch of 21
miles from Bombay to Thane.
ž The idea of a railway to connect Bombay with Thane, Kalyan and
with the Thal and Bhore Ghats first occurred to Mr. George
Clark, the Chief Engineer of the Bombay Government, during a
visit to Bhandup in 1843.
ž The formal inauguration ceremony was performed on 16th April
1853, when 14 railway carriages carrying about 400 guests left
Bori Bunder at 3.30 pm "amidst the loud applause of a vast
multitude and to the salute of 21 guns."
ž The first passenger train steamed out of Howrah station destined
for Hooghly, a distance of 24 miles, on 15thAugust, 1854. Thus
the first section of the East Indian Railway was opened to
public traffic, inaugurating the beginning of railway transport on
the Eastern side of the sub-continent.
ž In south the first line was opened on 1st July, 1856 by the
Madras Railway Company. It ran between Veyasarpandy and
Walajah Road (Arcot), a distance of 63 miles. In the North a
length of 119 miles of line was laid from Allahabad to Kanpur
on 3rd March 1859. The first section from Hathras Road to
 Mathura Cantonment was opened to traffic on 19th October,
1875.
ž These were the small beginnings which is due course developed
into a network of railway lines all over the country. By 1880 the
Indian Railway system had a route mileage of about 9000
miles. INDIAN RAILWAYS, the premier transport organization
of the country is the largest rail network in Asia and the world’s
second largest under one management.
ž Indian Railways runs around 11,000 trains everyday, of which
7,000 are passenger trains.

Posted by Soumik Mukherjee at 9:57 AM 1 comment:

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