Background information:
Crossing tracks at a platform has been done since the beginning of the railway era. However, especially in recent decades, due to the height of the current platforms, it has not been permitted for unauthorized persons such as passengers. However, shunting personnel and sometimes other types such as maintenance personnel still occasionally find themselves in the situation where they want to get off the track and onto the platform. And various models of steps have been developed for this purpose. This type of step is an interesting example. It is a step that fits perfectly between the profile of the train and the platform. It is therefore naturally located on the long sides of platforms and is virtually invisible from the platform itself. The latter has also been developed very deliberately, so that passengers are not tempted to grab such a step to quickly cross the track. After all, it remains very dangerous to cross tracks at a location that is not equipped with warning devices that can indicate that a train is approaching. Now that shunting movements and also the (un)coupling of rolling stock on platform tracks are becoming less common, we are gradually seeing the number of these steps decrease. But if you look closely, you can still find them in many places.
Architectural details:
The metal version of these steps became the dominant version around 1960. Before that, there were mainly wooden versions.
