In
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...
and
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be ...
parlance, the Spanish solution is a station layout with two
railway platform
A railway platform is an area alongside a railway track providing convenient access to trains. Almost all stations have some form of platform, with larger stations having multiple platforms.
The world's longest station platform is at Hubbali ...
s, one on each side of the track,
which allows for separate platforms for boarding and alighting.
Description
This platform arrangement allows the separation of passenger streams by using one platform only for boarding, and the other one only for alighting.
The separate designation of platforms for boarding and alighting has been proven effective at reducing
dwell time at stations with high passenger numbers.
The Spanish solution is most commonly applied at high-frequency underground
metro stations. Stations are sometimes retrofitted to include a Spanish solution layout to expand the capacity of existing stations when there is no space to widen the existing platform, an issue that can occur in
island platform
An island platform (also center platform, centre platform) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange. Island platforms are popular o ...
configurations.
To encourage passengers to exit to the correct platform, arriving trains typically first open their doors facing the platform for alighting passengers, and then open the doors for boarding passengers after a slight delay.
Examples
The term "Spanish solution" derives from its use in several stations of the
Madrid Metro
The Madrid Metro ( Spanish: ''Metro de Madrid'') is a rapid transit system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the 14th longest rapid transit system in the world, with a total length of 293 km (182 mi). Its gr ...
(e.g.
Avenida de América) and
Barcelona Metro (e.g.
Sant Andreu).
An example of the Spanish Solution is the
Marienplatz
Marienplatz (English: Mary's Square, i.e. St. Mary, Our Lady's Square) is a central square in the city centre of Munich, Germany. It has been the city's main square since 1158.
History
During the Middle Ages, markets and tournaments were hel ...
station on the
Munich S-Bahn
The Munich S-Bahn (german: S-Bahn München) is an electric rail transit system in Munich, Germany. " S-Bahn" is the German abbreviation for ''Stadtschnellbahn'' (literally, "urban rapid rail"), and the Munich S-Bahn exhibits characteristics of ...
, which has
island platform
An island platform (also center platform, centre platform) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange. Island platforms are popular o ...
s for boarding and side platforms for alighting.
Gallery
File:München Marienplatz.jpg, Eastbound track at Marienplatz station, Munich S-Bahn
The Munich S-Bahn (german: S-Bahn München) is an electric rail transit system in Munich, Germany. " S-Bahn" is the German abbreviation for ''Stadtschnellbahn'' (literally, "urban rapid rail"), and the Munich S-Bahn exhibits characteristics of ...
File:Metro Paris - Ligne 6 - station Etoile 01.jpg, Spanish solution on Line 6 at Charles de Gaulle - Étoile. Paris Metro
File:GreenLineMetroChabacano.JPG, Platforms of the Chabacano station on Line 8, Mexico City Metro.
File:Park Street Under platforms, September 1912.jpg, Boston's Park Street Under station in 1912. The same platform configuration is still in use.
File:Pioneer Square Station center platform transfer from above.jpg, A temporary center platform at Pioneer Square station in Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...
used for transfers between trains
File:Sydney Olympic Park train station (49755055828).jpg, Olympic Park station in Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
. All passengers alight on the middle island platform and board from the significantly wider outer platforms.
File:Rogier metro station platform.jpg, alt=, Platforms of the Rogier station on Lines 2 and 6, Brussels Metro.
File:Spaanse methode.svg, Spanish solution: the principle. Passengers board from the left platform, and alight in the middle island.
See also
*
Cross-platform interchange
A cross-platform interchange is a type of interchange between different lines at a metro (or other railway) station. The term originates with the London Underground; such layouts exist in other networks but are not commonly so named. In the U ...
*
Interchange station
An interchange station or a transfer station is a train station for more than one railway route in a public transport system that allows passengers to change from one route to another, often without having to leave a station or pay an additio ...
References
External links
*
Rapid transit
Railway platforms
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