Wheelchair Lifts for Railroads

In 1986 Amtrak was in the market for a wheelchair lift that would provide wheelchair access to their trains at their many stations across the US.                  

Project Constraints
• The wheelchair lift would have to be retrieved by the conductor and taken to the rail car where it was needed.
• The lift would have to be lightweight, easy to roll and easy to operate.
• It was imperative that the lift be reliable all year long, in all kinds of weather - hot dry heat or freezing rain or snow.
• The lift would have to elevate to various heights to accommodate the different styles of trains.
• Amtrak did not want to have to modify any of their train cars or platforms.

ADA Compliant Solutions for Handicapped Passengers

Adaptive provided a lightweight aluminum and stainless steel Mobilift TX portable wheelchair lifts that were easy to roll and easy to operate.  The lifts elevated to a maximum height of 60” to accommodate all trains.

The Outcome
Amtrak was able to provide wheelchair access to their trains, in all kinds of weather across the US. The lift rolled easily from storage, to point of need, and back to storage. As it was a manual lift and did not require any batteries or power, it was, and still is extremely reliable. The ADA compliant Mobilift TX is still being purchased by Amtrak today.