Abstract
Nowadays, guiding chimes are being hastily installed at ticket gates of railway stations according to the governmental guideline about movement support using auditory signs. However, this guideline does not indicate any definite standards on their installation, thus some situations appear where the chimes do not work well due to inappropriate installation. This study aims at clarifying the present circumstances around the chimes by way of hearing to the visually handicapped and on-site investigation of sound environment in a dozen of stations. The former describes a variety of their usability, specifying the characteristics of the chimes ; the latter demonstrates the volume of the chimes, the audible areas and the audibility at significant points in the stations.
