Bane NOR is owned by the Ministry of Transport, as it is a state-owned public enterprise with the responsibility for maintenance, planning and development of the railway infrastructure and its platforms and station buildings.

Universal design is a strategy and a tool which is included in our national guidelines and requirements. “Universal design is a design concept that recognizes, respects, values and attempts to accommodate the broadest possible spectrum of human ability in the design of all products, environments, and information systems. It requires sensitivity to and knowledge about people of all ages and abilities. Universal design encompasses and goes beyond the accessible, adaptable, and barrier-free design concepts of the past. The Universal design principle differentiates from the accessibility principle by not requiring specialized solutions for specific target groups. A universally designed solution provides an environment that applies to everyone.[1]”A new station must meet all national requirements for universal design. In addition, we have our own requirements and of course the requirements in the TSI-PRM.

In projects, our Handbook for Stations, and the technical requirements lay the foundation for the universal design of a station, and a consultant for universal design or subject manager for station design from our company is hands on in many projects, but far from all.

The Ministry of Transport, through the Norwegian Railway Directorate, leads an interagency called the “Train group”. In this group, representatives from different user organizations, rolling stock operators, bus, and metro operator etc. meet regularly and discuss issues related to universal design, and we also carry out inspections in stations at home and abroad. Bane NOR is also a member of the national Network for universal design in local and regional public transport. This forum discusses different challenges in the travel chain, how to obtain seamless travel and so on.

Next year we plan to implement a Universal Design Day for all the employees in Bane NOR. We want to invite persons with various disabilities to talk about their mobility experiences relating to the railway system in special, and society in general. We also plan to have wheelchairs and glasses which illustrate vision impairments available for people to try out in our premises and outdoor areas.

In the future we plan to incorporate more participation from the people who use our facilities daily, to see what we can do better. We also need to clarify our requirements so that there is no room for misinterpretation.

[1] Timeline-Universal-Design-in-Norway.pdf (who.int)

Watch the video to learn more about universal design at Bane NOR 👉 https://youtu.be/4Hb1Nyrvhuc