Remove ladders, save lives

Initiative of the private wagon holders to eliminate access ladders on wagons

With a letter of intent, the members of the Managing Committee of VPI have committed to a voluntary refusal to equip wagons with access ladders. In this way, the industry wishes to make a further contribution to accident prevention in railway traffic. “The elimination of ladders will save lives. We are convinced of this,” stresses Malte Lawrenz, chairperson of VPI. The following companies are currently represented in the Managing Committee of the association: ERMEWA SA, GATX Rail Europe, On Rail GmbH, TRANSWAGGON GmbH and VTG AG.

The initiative is taking place in consideration of the fact that, despite public information campaigns, severe – often fatal – accidents still occur because people climb onto parked wagons without authorisation. Since the start of 2018, over 40 people in Germany alone have suffered high-voltage shocks from overhead lines within the rail network – most of them young people. In order to come into contact with the electricity, it is not even necessary to touch the overhead line. It is sufficient to approach the cable and thereby trigger an electric arc, in which electricity passes through the air like lightning and strikes the body, causing severe burns.

Wherever ladders are not absolutely necessary, the private wagon keepers will therefore not outfit wagons with ladders. “We will engage in dialogue with shippers, railway undertakings and companies that hire wagons to find solutions for the loading and unloading processes for which ladders are still currently used,” announce the wagon keepers represented in VPI.