Summary
The code that station operators and Network Rail in Great Britain follow when building or renewing stations, combining mandatory requirements with guidance on induction loops at ticket offices, announcements, help points and lift intercoms.
Key findings
- Issued under section 71B of the Railways Act 1993; licensed operators, including Network Rail, must follow it as a condition of their licence whenever they install, renew or replace infrastructure or facilities. It contains mandatory European standards (from the PRM TSI) that apply when major work is undertaken, mandatory national standards for other installations, renewals and replacements, and best-practice guidance that is not mandatory but is strongly recommended.
- Repeats the PRM TSI requirement that, where manual ticket counters, information desks and customer assistance points are provided, at least one desk is fitted with an induction loop, and that a fixed glass barrier needs an intercom. Its guidance adds that the counter loop should be mounted at 1100 mm so it is no visual barrier, that the loop symbol should be displayed, and that speak-through security panels should be avoided.
- Guidance on announcements: all PA systems should be linked to induction loops covering the main public areas (ticket office, waiting rooms, around passenger information screens), and all systems that relay recorded information, such as PA systems and help points, should be equipped with an induction loop.
- Says areas should be tested for electrical interference, "usually heard as a buzzing noise on a hearing aid when switched to 'T'", before a loop is installed; that effective coverage may be hard to achieve in large areas, where a series of listening areas is one solution; and that loops should be clearly signposted.
- Says all staff working where there is a loop should be trained in its use, that loops should be maintained and tested, "ideally once a week", with loop testers, and that broken loops should be repaired within 48 hours of notification, with alternatives such as extra staff until then.
- New help points should be fitted with induction loops and older ones fitted during maintenance programmes; lift emergency intercoms should have an induction loop.
- Does not mention Bluetooth, radio or infrared systems for announcements.
- Section L3 guidance, printed page 123, recommends both visual and aural emergency alarms and says aural emergency alarms should be distinct from other station signals, including train-door tones. This is separate from the L2 guidance linking PA systems to loops.
Limits
Version 04 says it is valid from 20 March 2015; GOV.UK lists it as first published on 23 March 2015 and last updated on 31 December 2020, and the PDF read was modified in September 2020. The loop sections are guidance, not mandatory standards, except the counter requirement taken from the PRM TSI. It applies to station works in England, Scotland and Wales and gives no loop performance figures beyond pointing to BS 7594. No compliance data are given.
Read the original
www.gov.uk/government/publications/accessible-railway-stations-design-standards
Cited in
- What works for announcements and ticket counters on buses, trains, stations and airports?Partly answered
- Can assistive listening carry emergency and evacuation announcements?Partly answered
Cite this source
Department for Transport; Transport Scotland. Design Standards for Accessible Railway Stations: a joint Code of Practice by the Department for Transport and Transport Scotland (Version 04). GOV.UK. 23 March 2015. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/accessible-railway-stations-design-standards (accessed 13 October 2026).
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