Conveyor belts lug the luggage at smaller train stations
Anyone who has traveled by train into smaller European cities and towns has paid the penance for using convenient, punctual transportation by lugging heavy bags up and down stairs. In larger cities, trains pull into terminals where ferrying bags is easy and on one level, so this is not an issue. But at smaller stations that trains pass through, travelers always have had to carry baggage up and down stairs to reach the tunnel under the tracks. I always consider it an incentive to travel light or as part of my fitness program — but that doesn’t mean I enjoy it!
The German Federal Railroad (Deutsche Bundesbahn, or DB Bahn, as it is now referred to now) is installing two-way conveyors on the stairs at smaller railroad stations. Put your bag on the weight-activated belt the top or bottom, and the device starts up to take it up or down at walking speed. If you’re slower than the conveyor, don’t worry. The belt stops when the bag reaches the end, so it won’t be dumped onto the concrete.
I have no idea whether this clever, passenger-friendly device is being installed at all German stations (there are 5,707 of them). I saw (and admired) it in Baden Baden, a spa and resort town in southwestern Germany where many passenger arrive with luggage. I also don’t know whether other European countries have installed, are installing or are considering installing these smart, simple devices.
I’ve encountered these in Germany, and loved them. One trip in Switzerland, we could really have used one – we had to run up and down a few stairs to make a connection – I was with a pro photographer who had a large pack filled with tripod, extra camera bodies and lenses.
Goes to show that I haven’t been at railroad stations at smaller German cities in too long. I had never seen these, but it appears that they have been around for some time. A German in friend (in fact a former exchange student at the University of Colorado) wrote “Hi Claire, and welcome to Germany. I have to say, that these conveyors are a pretty old thing (+20 years). I have not seen them for quite a while since most train stations were upgraded to have escalators and elevators.” Twenty years! Thnx for setting me straight.