New lighting for platforms and access areas at Neubeckum-Beckum station
Two central platforms, accessible via stairs, lifts and a subway: Beckum-Neubeckum station is typical of many commuter stations across the region. Functionality, safety and cost-effective operation are the top priorities. The new LED lighting from NORKA makes a decisive contribution to this – and also enhances the quality of the waiting experience for passengers whilst they await their train.
The railway line between Hamm and Gütersloh in Westphalia is one of the busiest in Germany. Beckum-Neubeckum station lies roughly halfway along the route; here, commuters and other travellers can catch connections to the Ruhr region or towards Hanover, Hamburg and Berlin. The charming historic station building, dating from 1916, has since been acquired by the town of Beckum and is awaiting conversion into an event venue – rail operations here are now managed without on-site staff. Deutsche Bahn converted the station to make it barrier-free in the 2010s: with three sets of stairs and three lifts leading to the central platforms, as well as an intermediate platform on Track 2, each 220 metres long and with a continuous height of 76 centimetres. New roofs were also installed on the platforms. In view of the phasing out of fluorescent and high-pressure sodium lamps, the operators have now decided to retrofit the station in collaboration with NORKA – utilising future-proof LED technology to achieve optimum light quality whilst reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs.
NORKA’s decades of experience in the rail sector comes to the fore in rail transport projects – as is the case in Neubeckum. The North German manufacturer offers a comprehensive range of luminaires that have been tested by Deutsche Bahn AG and included on its luminaire selection lists. In this specific case, all light points at Beckum-Neubeckum station were converted to LED, and the open-platform lighting was provided by NORKA’s newly listed CARPO DB mast luminaire.
Significantly improved light quality
Consequently, the comprehensive lighting upgrade is barely noticeable in daylight; it is only when darkness falls that the significant improvements become apparent. These are primarily attributable to the aforementioned CARPO DB mast luminaires: “The special light distribution of the lens optics in these luminaires produces particularly uniform illumination without causing glare,” explains Marcel Schaff, who accompanied the project on behalf of NORKA. The new LED luminaires are mounted on six-metre-high masts – with double arms on the regular platforms and as single luminaires on the emergency stop platform – and each luminaire head emits a luminous flux of 4,850 lumens with a neutral white colour temperature of 4,000 Kelvin. With an illuminance of 53 lux on the platform and a uniformity of 0.58, they not only meet the technical requirements for stations with medium passenger volumes, but their light distribution – optimised for the task at hand – also reduces stray light and ends precisely at the edge of the platform. This minimises glare for train drivers whilst also preventing light pollution in the surrounding area and the night sky: “The light really only goes where it’s actually needed,” says Schaff.
Customised protection against vandalism
The light fittings on the stairwell below a height of three metres have also been upgraded, as current regulations require increased protection against vandalism in these areas. With the particularly robust MARBURG LED DB luminaire, NORKA also has the right technology for this in its range. The ‘m1200’ variants used, with 5,330 lumens and a colour temperature of 4,000 Kelvin, also create islands of light around the stairwells: for marking purposes and to provide additional safety on the platform, which narrows at these points. The light points beneath the canopies of the platforms and stairwells are situated higher than three metres, which is why the NORKA PRAG LED DB luminaire was the ideal choice here; with its medium beam light distribution, it ensures particularly uniform illumination, especially over the stairs. At the ends of the access points to the pedestrian underpass, MÜNCHEN LED DB luminaires were installed as surface-mounted wall luminaires, their light further brightening up shaded areas on the stairs.
By switching to LED technology at Beckum-Neubeckum station, Deutsche Bahn is, on the one hand, achieving long-term reductions in energy and maintenance costs thanks to durable and highly efficient lighting technology. On the other hand, the station has been significantly enhanced by improved light quality, which offers users greater comfort and safety – whilst also protecting the environment through reduced light pollution and emissions. Implemented quickly and effectively thanks to the expertise of lighting partner NORKA, this project can serve as a model for many similar stations across the region.
Products in use
MARBURG LED DB (6 Articles)
Impact-resistant luminaire for pedestrian subways (listed at Deutsche Bahn)
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MÜNCHEN LED DB (6 Articles)
For platforms, underground passenger facilities (listed at Deutsche Bahn)
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PRAG LED DB (12 Articles)
Linear luminaire for covered train platforms (listed at Deutsche Bahn)
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