JR East plans safety gates for Keihin-Tohoku Line stations

[bill937ca]

Automatic platform gates will be installed at all 36 stations on the Keihin-Tohoku Line to prevent visually impaired people from falling on the tracks that run north-south through the Tokyo area.

The safety plan is in response to a series of accidents involving visually impaired people tumbling onto tracks or moving too close to the platform edges and being struck by trains, East Japan Railway Co. said Dec. 13.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201612140043.html

 

[Kabutoni]

That was to be expected. It seems JR East is also installing platform doors in Machida sta. on the Yokohama line (platform 4 only strangely): https://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2016/20160902.pdf This is a new, more open type, as opposed to the usually fully closed, half-height platform doors. The Yokohama line has through runs on the Keihin-Tōhoku and Negishi lines, so it's not really a surprise. ^^

[kvp]

This is sad for railway fans, but acceptable given the narrow size and high passenger load on many platforms.

 

Btw. the optimal form for platform gates are two solid posts and metal framed glass doors with glass between the static posts. The mechanical and sensor equipment could fit inside the posts and this would give clear view both between the posts and through the platform doors. The running rails and drive racks could be on the thin metal frame of the moving doors (with no active components). The doors could just slide behind the connecting glass, giving full view of the train sides even when the doors are open. Imho the new ones Toni has linked, look like a good step in the right direction. (imho the yurikamome has got them right from the start, except half height is enough for most stations)

 

ps: With wide enough platforms and enough space, it would be possible to add infrared gates that are connected to the PA system to warn people crossing the barrier and to automatically drop the approach signals to slow (aka. proceed on sight) if someone stays in the the safety zone and to stop (and depower any 3rd rails) if someone falls. This works nicely with automatic trains too, especially if you add light strips into the platform to indicate the location of the barrier, train arrivals and when it's safe to cross the barrier. (lit=barrier active, blinking=train arrival/depature, please step back, off=train at the platform, safe to cross)