The Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 1998

Passenger information

13.—(1) A regulated rail vehicle shall be fitted with public address systems for audible and visual announcements inside the passenger saloon and for visual announcements on the exterior of the vehicle.

(2) The system for visual announcements on the exterior of the vehicle shall be fitted, if the vehicle is not hauled by a locomotive,—

(a) on the front of a single vehicle;

(b) where two or more vehicles are coupled together, on the front of the leading vehicle; or

(c) where five or more vehicles are coupled together, on each side of each vehicle, unless such a system is fitted to the front of the leading vehicle.

(3) The system for visual announcements on the exterior of a vehicle which is hauled by one or more locomotives shall be fitted to each side of each such vehicle, unless such a system is fitted to the front of the leading locomotive and is used to provide the announcements required by paragraph (4) using letters and numbers which comply with paragraph (7).

(4) Whilst the vehicle is stationary at a station or a tram stop, the systems inside the passenger saloon and on the exterior of the vehicle shall be used to announce the destination of the vehicle, or, if the vehicle is following a circular route, the name or number of the route, and, in the case of systems inside the passenger saloon only, to announce the next stop.

(5) Subject to paragraph (6) the systems inside the passenger saloon shall be used—

(a) to announce the next station, or tram stop, at which the vehicle will be stopping, not less than once during the period beginning five minutes before the vehicle is expected by the operator’s staff to stop at that station or tram stop;

(b) to announce any delay exceeding ten minutes to the scheduled timing for that journey;

(c) to announce any diversions from the route shown in the published timetable for that journey; and

(d) to make emergency announcements.

(6) Paragraph (5)(a) does not apply if the timetabled journey time between stations or tram stops is less than two minutes.

(7) The first letter of, and numbers used in, announcements on visual systems shall be not less than 70 millimetres high on systems on the front of the vehicle and not less than 35 millimetres high on other systems, and all letters and numbers shall contrast with their background.

(8) A word on a visual system shall not be written in capital letters only.

(9) Visual announcements inside the passenger saloon shall be visible from the majority of passenger seats (including priority seats) in that saloon.