PATH Train Evacuation Cart
Our goal is to design a lightweight cart to transport injured passengers away from a disabled PATH train anywhere in the system.
Needs
The evacuation cart is designed to carry a minimum of two full sized adults away from a damaged or disabled train. PATH trains run in very old and small tunnels with distances between stations being as high as a several thousand feet. Currently, to evacuate an injured person from a train, a minimum of two people are required to lift a backboard. In addition, the tunnels have many tripping hazards including switch tracks, signaling equipment, and various pieces of rail or ties waiting to be installed. Using conventional backboards, if a rescuer looses their footing, not only can they injure themselves, but they can further injure the person strapped to the board. Utilizing this cart system, a minimum of 2 people can be moved by 1 rescue worker. Should this worker trip or otherwise injure themselves on the way out, they are very unlikely to further injure those being evacuated. This significantly speeds up evacuations making it safer, faster, and less tiring for rescue personnel.