Platform heights are intended to make boarding and alighting easier – further stops planned in Darmstadt and the surrounding district
HEAG mobilo has equipped 63 tram stops in Darmstadt and the Darmstadt-Dieburg district with platform height adjustments. These additional elements reduce the height difference between the platform and the tram and are intended to make boarding and alighting easier, especially for people with mobility impairments.
The transport company had already tested initial platform height increases at a total of 16 stops in 2022 and 2023. These included, among others, the Merck-Stadion, Borsdorffstraße, Kranichstein Bahnhof, Schloß, Waldspirale, Landskronstraße, Hans-Karl-Platz/Am Markt, and Berliner Allee stops. According to HEAG mobilo, the elements proved their worth in long-term testing.
79 stops in Darmstadt with increased capacity
Of the 168 tram stops in Darmstadt, 131 have raised platforms. Following the recent expansion, 79 of these have also been equipped with platform height increases.
“Accessibility means inclusion,” explains Darmstadt’s transport commissioner, Paul Georg Wandrey. The additional installations are a practical way to further facilitate access to the trams.
In the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, two raised platforms already existed at the Hans-Karl-Platz/Am Markt stop in Griesheim. Now, ten more are being added at six stops in Seeheim-Jugenheim and Alsbach-Hähnlein. According to the district administration, all tram stops in the district already have raised platforms.
Raised sections on the large front door
Despite the raised platform, a height difference can still exist between the platform and the train. This difference varies depending on factors such as the number of passengers and the condition of the wheel treads and track. This can still create a barrier for people with reduced mobility.
The new elements are located near the large front door of the trams , at the same height as the spaces for wheelchairs and strollers. They are made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic and, according to HEAG mobilo, are slip-resistant and weatherproof.
“It remains important to us to make our services as accessible as possible,” says HEAG-mobilo Managing Director Johannes Gregor.
More stops are planned
Work is also underway at other locations to improve accessibility to buses and trams. A 24-centimeter-high boarding platform was already installed at Böllenfalltor in 2024. According to HEAG mobilo, a completely barrier-free upgrade of the tram stop there is not possible due to the curve in the road and the spatial constraints. Further construction measures to improve barrier-free access to buses are in preparation.
The Goethestraße stop in Bessungen is scheduled to reopen in autumn 2026. The raised curbs will be built to a height of 25 centimeters.
In the future, more stops will be equipped with raised platforms or built higher from the outset, provided local conditions allow. According to HEAG mobilo, approximately half of the tram stops are now equipped so that people with mobility impairments can access the vehicles without assistance. Folding ramps remain available at other stops.
(DARMSTADT – RED/HEAG/ISA)
