On several Trenitalia trains, an automatic door at the end of each carriage opens with a sensor or by pressing the relevant button.
These doors can sometimes be genuinely annoying. There are three situations in which switching from automatic to manual operation can be useful:
- when you are queuing to leave the train and the doors keep opening and closing, mercilessly chopping the queue in half;
- when you are sitting near the door and want to rest, but the constant opening and closing noise will not leave you in peace;
- when the door is not working properly, remains stuck halfway and needs to be opened manually.
The lever shown in the photographs is a convenience control: it switches the internal door between automatic and manual operation.
The solution is to disable the automatic door using the nearby lever and move it to the manual setting. The lever is usually high up, beside the door.
Frequently asked questions
What is the lever above an internal train door for?
It disables the automatic operation and switches the internal door from automatic to manual mode.
Where is the automatic/manual lever?
It is usually high up, beside the door or above the window.
When can manual mode be useful?
When the door repeatedly interrupts a queue, disturbs passengers sitting nearby or remains stuck halfway.
Is the lever shown an emergency release?
No. It is the automatic/manual control for the internal door between carriages, not the emergency release for external doors.
Is this lever fitted to every train?
No. Its position and design vary with the train model.