The totem has been designed following universal accessibility criteria.
Adif, Renfe and Ineco have installed a physical help point (an accessible totem) at Málaga María Zambrano station to facilitate the mobility of people with disabilities. It is a prototype that is part of a pilot project promoting different innovative technological solutions to improve accessibility in rail transport.
This device is part of one of the six major flagship projects of the European programme European Rail Joint Undertaking (ERJU), specifically the one called MOTIONAL (FP1) for network management and mobility in a multimodal environment.
The totem has been designed following universal accessibility criteria. Its final design presents an ergonomic shape, visible from a distance and easily recognisable, which facilitates its location in complex environments such as a railway station. It is a touch device that offers the user personalised and accessible information about schedules, platforms, interior routes, etc., and even the possibility of requesting help from an assistive robot (another pilot project).
It has a maximum of four simultaneous interaction stations, which can be with touch interaction via screen and sound support, or with visual and sound interaction via accessible switches.
Furthermore, this information point is connected to a mobile guidance application that enhances the experience with tools such as guidance through Navilens codes (a type of accessible QR code designed for people with visual impairments), visualisation of accessible routes on a map, and ticket scanning.
From July 15 to 17, people with different types of disabilities (visual, auditory, motor, cognitive, and intellectual, as well as people with reduced mobility) will participate in real tests to validate both the functioning of the totem and other complementary tools.
Among the features that will be tested are:
• Access to real-time information on train schedules, cancellations, and subway frequencies.
• The scanning of tickets to identify which track the train is on.
• Visualisation or guidance towards accessible routes through various options (app, robot, NaviLens or visual map).
Gobos System: another accessibility pilot of the FP1-Motional
Another prototype being developed is the Gobos system, a light projection system on the platform that allows people with reduced mobility to anticipate the location of the accessible train door, improving their autonomy and travel experience.
This pilot project has already been validated by people with disabilities, railway staff, and specialised technicians. Now all the information gathered will allow for the evaluation of the system's impact and the study of its future scalability.
A project developed within the framework of ERJU
Adif, Adif Alta Velocidad, Renfe Operadora, Cedex and Ineco are participating in the R&D&I joint venture 'Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking' (ERJU), the European Union partnership dedicated to railways, with six projects valued at €568.4 million. With this initiative, they will work for a period of ten years, so that the European railway system converges towards a single, interoperable, sustainable and efficient network, with a user-centred approach.
In September 2022, ERJU published grants to six projects in its first competitive call for proposals. The membership of the group from the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility participates in all of them, led by Adif/Adif High Speed as the leader and with Renfe Operadora, Ineco, and Cedex as affiliated entities.
The six major multi-annual flagship projects valued at €568.4 million, co-financed with €232.8 million from EU-Rail JU, will launch the Joint Undertaking's R&D activities in these areas:
• FP1-MOTIONAL, for network and mobility management in a multimodal environment.
• FP 2-R2DATO, oriented to digital and automatic train operation.
• FP3-IAM4RAIL, aimed at intelligent and integrated asset management.
• FP4-Rail4EARTH, for the development of a green and sustainable railway system.
• FP5-TRANS4M-R, aimed at building and evolving green, sustainable, digital and competitive freight services.
• FP6-FutuRe: innovation that revitalises regional railway lines.
All these European innovation activities are aligned with the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility's 2030 Safe, Sustainable and Connected Mobility Strategy.
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