The role of lighting in ensuring Access for All
March 2025
KNOWLEDGE
The role of lighting in ensuring Access for All
Good lighting is essential in making public spaces safe and accessible for everyone. This is especially true for train stations, where it plays a crucial role in supporting the national Access for All programme, as David Woodcock, our Business Unit Manager for Rail and Garda, explains.
The Department for Transport and Network Rail’s Access for All programme was established in 2006 with the aim of ensuring an obstacle free, accessible route to and between train station platforms. Originally launched with £390 million of funding, it has been expanded several times, most recently in 2018 with an additional £300 million when the Government’s wider Inclusive Transport Strategy was launched. The ultimate goal of this strategy was to achieve equal access for disabled people using the transport system by 2030. This is not a simple task and with over 2,500 stations across the UK, ensuring this is achieved at every station is a challenge.
Ensuring that everyone can use the rail network easily and safely is important from both a social responsibility and economic perspective. It gives people with disabilities increased freedom to travel, which allows greater social interaction, access to public services and cultural venues and importantly, greater employment opportunities.
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David Woodcock, Rail Business Unit Manager Originally trained as an electrical engineer, David has over 25 years of experience within the lighting industry and has previously worked at DW Windsor in a number of key roles. As Rail Business Unit Manager, he helps to provide lighting and control-based solutions within the transportation sector. |
The focus of improved accessibility is often on removing physical barriers, for example, by ensuring step-free access from the street to the platform, or even onto the train. However, wayfinding and the visibility of potential hazards, such as changes in floor height or surface are also barriers to many using the rail network. Here the correct lighting can make a significant difference to how easily and safely the station can be used by everyone. There are several key ways in which lighting can improve accessibility, especially for people with visual impairments.
Increased visibility and safety
One of the most important considerations is ensuring that everyone can move into and through the station safely. The correct lighting can help prevent slips, trips and falls by ensuring that all objects and surfaces are properly illuminated. This also helps people with visual impairments feel more confident moving around the space, making use of public transport less intimidating. To achieve this, there are four main elements of lighting that must be addressed.
Lighting levels
Firstly, the light levels should be sufficient to effectively illuminate the area. Guidance on the appropriate light levels can be found in Department for Transport and Transport Scotland’s ‘Design Standards for Accessible Railway Stations’ and the Lighting Design in Stations Design Manual (2024). This code of practice document sets out lighting levels for different areas of the station. For example, it recommends station platforms should be lit to 100 lux, while the guidance for more critical areas such as stairs, steps, and escalators is 150 to 200 lux to provide greater visibility of step edges. Another source of guidance often referenced is BS EN 12464-2 which notes that lighting requirements may vary depending on passenger density, with higher lighting levels beneficial in busier stations. Furthermore, all areas of the station need to be well lit, including footbridges and subways, to ensure that everyone can navigate these safely.
Ensuring that everyone can use the rail network easily and safely is important from both a social responsibility and economic perspective. It gives people with disabilities increased freedom to travel, which allows greater social interaction, access to public services and cultural venues and, importantly, greater employment opportunities.
Lighting uniformity
For people with visual impairments, it is just as important that light levels are uniform and there are no strong shadows or areas that are excessively bright. This is because these may be perceived as differences in level or surface or may hide actual changes, which can result in trips and falls. The importance of uniformity and consistency of light is something that is highlighted by the Accessible Railway Stations guidance. The Lighting Design in Stations manual also highlights that vertical illuminance is a key factor, as passengers naturally navigate using visual cues from upright surfaces rather than floors or pathways. Ensuring a balance between horizontal and vertical lighting can improve overall navigation and spatial awareness.
Lighting colour and quality
A further important factor in ensuring that lighting works for everyone is the colour temperature of light. Lighting will range from warmer, yellow light – typically around 2700K – to cooler, whiter light at around 4000K. As stated in the Accessible Railway Stations guidance, whiter light will render colours better than the more yellow lighting. This is important as using contrasting colours will help make features of the space easier to see for those with a visual impairment. For example, using contrasting colours for walls and door frames will help make the doorway easier to see. Lighting that renders these colours correctly will help maintain the colour contrast. For outdoor areas such as car parks, forecourts, and station entrances, warmer colour temperatures (around 3000K) can provide sufficient visibility while reducing environmental impact. Using DarkSky Approved Lighting in these areas helps to minimise light pollution and disruption to local wildlife, particularly nocturnal species.
Glare
In addition, it is essential to avoid glare from any lighting installed. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, all lighting on station platforms and above the tracks, such as on footbridges, should be designed to eliminate glare that may affect the vision of train drivers. Secondly, it has an effect on accessibility, as glare can have a serious impact on both those with a visual impairment and those who have neurodivergences, such as autism. For many neurodivergent people, high levels of glare can be particularly uncomfortable and stressful. Carefully controlled lighting, including shields where necessary, will also help ensure light is directed exactly where it is needed. Additionally, veiling reflections on glossy surfaces or digital screens should be minimised to prevent obscuring important signage or travel information.
Wayfinding
Another way that lighting can improve accessibility is by aiding wayfinding, and there are several ways that lighting can support this. The first is by making signage clear and visible. Positioning lighting in a way that illuminates important signage and directions will allow people to find and read them more easily. The Accessible Railway Stations code of practice recommends that the lighting levels on signs should be at least 20 per cent higher than the surrounding ambient light. However, this must be done carefully to avoid causing other issues. For effective wayfinding, lighting should also support the four key stages of passenger movement—orientation, route decision, route monitoring, and destination recognition—while avoiding excessive visual distractions from digital advertising displays.
Similarly, clearly illuminating important features of the station, such as lifts, ticket offices and information points, will allow people to navigate to these easily or be able to seek assistance from station staff if required.
Safety and Security
In addition to making it easier for people with disabilities, good lighting also helps address concerns around safety and security, which can influence people’s willingness to use public transport.
Design guidance from sources such as the British Transport Police’s Secure Stations Scheme and the Lighting Design in Stations Design Manual (2024) highlight the importance of eliminating blind spots, maximising sightlines, and ensuring even light distribution to improve both actual and perceived safety. A well-designed lighting scheme that reduces areas of shadow, enhances facial recognition for CCTV, and supports passive surveillance can significantly improve public confidence when travelling, particularly in early morning or late evening hours.
Integrated handrail lighting is widely used on staircases, ramps, bridges, and walkways to improve visibility and aid safe navigation. However, as noted in the Lighting Design in Stations manual, handrail lighting alone may not provide sufficient semi-cylindrical illuminance for CCTV and facial recognition, requiring supplementary lighting at footbridge ends. Where safety is a key concern, our Garda AntiClimb® lighting system provides an added layer of protection. Designed for open deck bridges and overpasses, its patented sloped profile discourages climbing and unsafe behaviour, reducing risks while ensuring safe passage through a well-lit environment.
In conclusion
Access for All is an important programme in helping to ensure that everyone has simple and safe access to the rail network, which is crucial both socially and economically, especially for those with disabilities. The correct lighting scheme has an important role to play in supporting this drive for more accessible transport by making stations easier and safer to navigate.
