• This study quantified platform travel time disparities at 587 stations on 31 lines. • Wheelchair users’ median travel time was 2.3 times longer than that of pedestrians. • Wheelchair users’ weighted travel time was 2.5 times that of pedestrians. • Strategic elevator placement substantially reduces wheelchair user travel time. Effectively addressing public transport disparities amid accelerating urbanisation is a critical global challenge. This study introduces a practical evaluation framework aimed at reducing transport inequalities, using a case study of Tokyo, Japan—one of the world’s most densely populated cities—with a particular focus on wheelchair users who face pronounced mobility barriers. A comprehensive database comprising 587 stations across 31 railway lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area was constructed, alongside an assessment framework to measure the distance between elevating equipment and train carriage doors on platforms. To evaluate travel equity, a travel time index was formulated for both wheelchair users and pedestrians. In addition, a weighted travel time index was developed as an efficiency metric, emphasising routes with high passenger volumes. The analysis yielded three significant results. First, the median platform travel time for wheelchair users was approximately 2.4 times longer than for pedestrians. Second, the expected value of the weighted travel time index indicated that wheelchair users experience travel times approximately 2.5 times longer than those of pedestrians. Third, strategic placement of additional lifts and improved alignment between elevator locations and carriage doors can substantially reduce platform travel times for wheelchair users. These results offer quantitative insights into accessibility barriers that have previously been recognised primarily through qualitative observations. The proposed framework presents a practical tool for optimising station layouts to decrease travel time for wheelchair users, thereby enhancing equitable access to public transport.
Arai et al. (Fri,) studied this question.