Spanish solution

{{short description|Train station layout that uses both island and side platforms}}

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File:Spaanse methode.svg

In railway and rapid transit parlance, the Spanish solution is a station layout with two railway platforms, one on each side of the track,{{cite book |last=Olshausen |first=Hans-Gustav |title=VDI-Lexikon Bauingenieurwesen |trans-title=VDI-Lexikon civil engineering |edition=2nd |page=63 |language=de |date=9 March 2013 |publisher=Springer-Verlag |isbn=978-3-642-48098-0 }} which allows for separate platforms for boarding and alighting.

The "Spanish solution" is used in several stations of the Madrid Metro (e.g. Avenida de América) and Barcelona Metro (e.g. Sant Andreu).

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.{{cite book |last=Fendrich |first=Lothar |title=Handbuch Eisenbahninfrastruktur |url=https://archive.org/details/handbucheisenbah00fend |url-access=limited |trans-title=Railway infrastructure handbook |pages=[https://archive.org/details/handbucheisenbah00fend/page/n57 36], 37 |language=de |date=25 January 2007 |publisher=Springer-Verlag |isbn=9783540317074 }}

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 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

An example of the Spanish Solution is the Karlsplatz (Stachus) station on the Munich S-Bahn, which has island platforms for boarding and side platforms for alighting.

Additionally this solution can be found on several Metro de Madrid stations: Sainz de Baranda, Avenida de America and many others.

{{cn|date=August 2023}}

Gallery

File:München Marienplatz.jpg|Eastbound track at Marienplatz station, Munich S-Bahn

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 used for transfers between trains

File:Sydney Olympic Park train station (49755055828).jpg|Olympic Park station in Sydney. All passengers alight on the middle island platform and board from the significantly wider outer platforms during major events.

File:Rogier metro station platform.jpg|alt=|Platforms of the Rogier station on Lines 2 and 6, Brussels Metro.

See also

References

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