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49 C.F.R. § 238.439   Doors.

Title 49 - Transportation

Title 49: Transportation
PART 238—PASSENGER EQUIPMENT SAFETY STANDARDS
Subpart E—Specific Requirements for Tier II Passenger Equipment

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§ 238.439   Doors.

(a) Each passenger car shall have a minimum of two exterior side doors, each door providing a minimum clear opening with dimensions of 30 inches horizontally by 74 inches vertically.

Note: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Specifications for Transportation Vehicles also contain requirements for doorway clearance (See 49 CFR part 38).

(b) Each passenger car shall be equipped with a manual override feature for each powered, exterior side door. Each manual override must be:

(1) Capable of releasing the door to permit it to be opened, without power, from both inside and outside the car;

(2) Located adjacent to the door which it controls; and

(3) Designed and maintained so that a person may readily access and operate the override device from both inside and outside the car without the use of any tool or other implement.

(c) The status of each powered, exterior side door in a passenger car shall be displayed to the crew in the operating cab. If door interlocks are used, the sensors used to detect train motion shall be nominally set to operate at 3 mph.

(d) Each powered, exterior side door in a passenger car shall be connected to an emergency back-up power system.

(e) A railroad may protect a manual override device used to open a powered, exterior door with a cover or a screen capable of removal without requiring the use of a tool or other implement.

(f) A passenger compartment end door (other than a door providing access to the exterior of the trainset) shall be equipped with a kick-out panel, pop-out window, or other similar means of egress in the event the door will not open, or shall be so designed as to pose a negligible probability of becoming inoperable in the event of car body distortion following a collision or derailment.

(g) Door exits shall be marked, and instructions provided for their use, as required by §239.107(a) of this chapter.

[64 FR 25660, May 12, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 19993, Apr. 23, 2002]

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