Exclusive light rail ride

On lines 1/4 and 5, they are now a common sight: the 42-metre-long and new trams of Jena's local transport system. Named after the “City of Light Jena”, the “Lichtbahnen” set new standards - not only in terms of size, comfort and innovation, but also in terms of accessibility. This is also due to the fact that representatives of the City of Jena's Senior Citizens' and Disabled Persons' Advisory Council and the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired were involved in the project from the outset. Now (May 2024), an exclusive presentation trip has taken place with representatives of these bodies.  
 
The aim of the trip was first to explain all the new barrier-free functions of the streetcar in detail in a theoretical part. Afterwards, the participants took a ride together on the route from the Lobeda-West terminus to Lobeda-Ost and back to directly experience the practical barrier-free benefits of the light rail.   
The passengers were particularly impressed by the excellent implementation of the defined accessibility requirements. For example, the Lichtbahn enables wheelchair users to board and alight comfortably without the need for specially designed ramps. The spacious interior offers room for four wheelchairs or e-scooters as well as for baby carriages and bicycles. 
  
The participants were most appreciative of the very good consideration given to their concerns right from the start. For example, the stakeholders were involved at an early stage by Jena's local transport authority when the requirements for accessibility were formulated in advance of the procurement of the light rail vehicles. Among other things, a floor plan model of the carriage sections with special use areas for wheelchairs, e-scooters, baby carriages, etc. was intensively tested on the original scale in October 2020. This resulted in necessary adjustments to the interior fittings to enable easy entry and exit with wheelchairs and e-scooters as well as safe parking of rollators.  
Markus Würtz, Head of Sales, summarizes the event as follows: „We were able to show that the many and varied concerns of accessibility have been fully taken into account in our light rail systems. The excellent cooperation with all stakeholders from the initial planning to implementation has paid off.“ 
  
The mood during the entire presentation trip was positive and the participants were full of praise. The Lichtbahn is already integrated into regular public transport services and represents a significant step towards more inclusive public transport in Jena.

Photo: On the road with Jena's public transport system to test the accessible functions of the Lichtbahn: Representatives of the Seniors' Council, Disabled Persons' Council and the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired at the Lobeda-Ost stop and in the new tram. Markus Würtz, Head of Sales, demonstrates the barrier-free functionalities and answers passengers' questions.  © Jenaer Nahverkehr; Karolin Kasparek