Project information
- Acronym: PASSAGE
- Passenger Accessibility Solutions Support and Action Group for Experts
- Chair: Paola Negri, Trenitalia S.p.A
- Project director: Marc Guigon
- UIC PASSAGE Coordinator: Vanessa Perez
- UIC PRM ABT Coordinator: David Sarfatti
- Meetings: 3 to 4 times a year.
- Status: ongoing project
- Project code: 2018/PAS/582
Project description
The PASSAGE Group of Experts has become the major reference in railway accessibility in the European railways. Its objectives are to create and safeguard professional exchange among the railways to identify the work to be done at national and transnational level and potential solutions concerning accessibility issues.
The PASSAGE group holds three meetings per year. In these meetings, the results of the activities of the group are reported and the latest news on accessibility from each company is discussed.
During the meetings there is also an update on the performance of the UIC PRM-ABT (Assistance Booking Tool), which was created to provide assistance services to international passengers by connecting twenty PRM call centres.
Information on best practice has been gathered in UIC IRS 10145, which provides guidance for the provision of accessibility services in railway companies and is periodically updated by members.
Person with Reduced Mobility Assistance Booking Tool (UIC PRM ABT)
Chair: David Sarfatti, UIC
EU Regulation 1371/2007 stipulates that assistance for passengers with reduced mobility (PRM) must be provided if requested and notified at least 36 hours prior to departure. In the case of complex journeys on several different networks and countries, this creates a communication challenge as the relevant information must be communicated to the railway staff in charge at origin and departure and at each transfer point. The PRM Assistance Booking Tool is a web-based application that transfer XML messages to facilitate bookings of assistance services for PRM for international journeys throughout Europe. IRS 90918-6 define these XML messages. From the first 7 European countries in 2010, today, 20 Rail call centers use daily the UIC PRM ABT and exchange 3000 international assistance messages per month.
