318259
Member
- Joined
- 11 Jun 2011
- Messages
- 176
Video of the trains in service on the S47
They're kind of ugly looking - the locals have referred to the drivers cab as "a giant iPad" and it's easy to see why.
There are some interesting points to these trains, though:
They're the first Berlin S-Bahn trains with air conditioning.
Unlike the older, widespread Class 481 and 482, these trains can run as a two-carriage "quarter train". The older trains have a minimum length of 4 cars.
They're the first Berlin S-Bahn trains with full UK-style accessibility requirements. This means colour-contrasted doors, beeping sounds when the doors open and close, and tactile "easy to see, easy to press" buttons.
The door open buttons make a quiet beep every second while the doors are unlocked but closed, making it easier for visually impaired users to find them. This is a typically German thing - their pedestrian crossings make a constant ticking/heartbeat sound while the pedestrian light is red for the same reason.
The locals aren't terribly pleased about the new door open / hustle alarms. The older S-Bahn trains don't make any noise when the doors open. When they closed, a voice said "stand back please" and a melodic jingle played. That is going to be missed.
They're kind of ugly looking - the locals have referred to the drivers cab as "a giant iPad" and it's easy to see why.
There are some interesting points to these trains, though:
They're the first Berlin S-Bahn trains with air conditioning.
Unlike the older, widespread Class 481 and 482, these trains can run as a two-carriage "quarter train". The older trains have a minimum length of 4 cars.
They're the first Berlin S-Bahn trains with full UK-style accessibility requirements. This means colour-contrasted doors, beeping sounds when the doors open and close, and tactile "easy to see, easy to press" buttons.
The door open buttons make a quiet beep every second while the doors are unlocked but closed, making it easier for visually impaired users to find them. This is a typically German thing - their pedestrian crossings make a constant ticking/heartbeat sound while the pedestrian light is red for the same reason.
The locals aren't terribly pleased about the new door open / hustle alarms. The older S-Bahn trains don't make any noise when the doors open. When they closed, a voice said "stand back please" and a melodic jingle played. That is going to be missed.