Amtrak field tested Kenway’s ultra-lightweight ADA-compliant rail-boarding ramp at all stations in Maine yesterday, and they appeared to be quite pleased with the product’s overall form and function.
Kenway designed and manufactured the ramp as an alternative to Amtrak’s current 28-pound aluminum ramp, which is heavy and awkward to handle and has caused injuries to employees who must repeatedly lift it and set it down during the train’s 10-stop route.
Kenway’s high-strength resin ramp, pigmented “Amtrak blue” just for the customer, weighed in at only 14 pounds yet deflected only 1/8 inch with 600 pounds placed at the mid-span. A 316 stainless-steel edge guard prevents damage to the ramp when deployed.