More comfort for travelers - Platforms of the Borkumer Kleinbahn raised
Higher platforms are intended to make boarding and alighting from the narrow-gauge train on the Ostfriesian holiday island of Borkum easier, which runs between the harbor and the city. Since the beginning of 2023, the platforms of the three harbor-side stations, at the Jakob-van-Dyken-Way and at the station, have been renovated and raised, as announced by Borkumer Kleinbahn and Dampfschiffahrt GmbH.
Today, Lower Saxony's Economy Minister Olaf Lies (SPD) will officially open the new platforms at a railway station festival.
The raising of the platforms is intended to make travel more comfortable and barrier-free. Prior to the renovation, which took place in several phases, the platforms were approximately 15 centimeters high; they are now just over 70 centimeters high. Passengers can now easily board and alight from the Kleinbahn's cars.
In addition to the renovation of the platforms, a new track was built at the island harbor. This was reportedly needed by the railway to improve operations and because the number of passengers is increasing. In total, the Borkumer Kleinbahn invested around 6.5 million Euros in these construction projects. There was also state funding.
- Lower Saxony's Economy Minister Olaf Lies will be visiting Borkum, specifically the vacation island's railway station, to celebrate the opening of the elevated and renovated platforms, which aim to enhance tourism and accessibility for the narrow-gauge train service.
- The vacation island of Borkum, located in Lower Saxony, is now easily accessible by railroad, as the raised platforms at the Jakob-van-Dyken-Way and other harbor-side stations have significantly reduced challenges related to boarding and alighting, particularly during the high tourist season.
- During the recent renovations to the platforms, traffic at the Borkum harbor railway station was impacted temporarily, as the new 70-centimeter high platforms and the additional track were constructed, boosting the region's tourist infrastructure and improving tourism-related transportation.
