Renfe is changing the way of “sitting” in many Cercanías stations in Madrid with new supports that, in reality, are not designed to rest at all, but to rest briefly, standing up, and facilitate their use by people with reduced mobility. They are called ischiatic benches, and there are already about 350 of them distributed on busy platforms on lines C-1, C-2, C-4, C-5, C-8 and C-10, with a final phase of 61 more units being installed.
These new elements are not traditional benches, but half-height inclined bars that allow the ischium area (the lower part of the pelvis) to be supported without sitting down completely. The idea is that the traveler can relieve the legs and back for a few minutes, while remaining practically standing, something especially useful in stations with short waiting times and a lot of movement, where occupying a conventional seat may be less practical.
Why Renfe is installing them
According to Cercanías Madrid, the ischiatic benches are part of the network’ s modernization and accessibility plan, responding to complaints from users who asked for more points of support, especially elderly people or those with reduced mobility who can’t always bend down and get up from a low bench with ease. After a pilot test at Orcasitas station, the company found that the system was well received and decided to extend it to other hubs with a high passenger flow, such as the Henares corridor, the north and northwest axis or the Green Corridor to Chamartín-Airport.
Unlike the traditional continuous benches, these supports take up less space on the platform, leaving more room for transit. Renfe stresses that they do not replace all traditional seats, but complement them, especially at points where the flow of incoming and outgoing trains is very high and most users wait only a few minutes.