This is the Harrington Hump - installed at Harrington Station in Cumbria. They are a a glass reinforced plastic hump installed at stations with low platforms.
This demonstrates the ease for the driver in stopping at the correct spot and the convenience for alighting passengers (compared with the climb up for the Conductor at the rear of the train.
These are primarily aimed at disabled people but getting cycles on / off trains would be much easier too - low height platforms are a serious problem, particularly for smaller cyclists and loaded bikes.
The 'Harrington Hump' costs around £25,000 to install, as against £250,000 to raise a platform.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/ppimedia/3176513391/
