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A new barrier that rises and falls with trains’ arrival and departure is due to be trialed at a busy commuter station this year, IT Media reports.
Made from a series of long, thick wires threaded between pillars positioned along the edge of the platform at 10-meter intervals, the barrier is intended to keep travelers safe and prevent accidents and suicides as trains pull into crowded stations whose platforms are rarely fitted with barriers or safety gates. The trial unit will be installed at Tsukimino station, Kanagawa Prefecture, sometime this summer.
The wire rope screen will remain down at the edge of the platform until trains make a complete stop at the station. It will then rise just long enough for passengers to board or disembark. If the barrier proves to be both durable and cost effective, it is hoped that similar systems could be installed at other busy stations, helping to put an end to incidents like this in the near future.
Source: IT Media
Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Eight Great Tips for Getting a Seat on Japan’s Crowded Trains -- Japan Still Claims 82 of 100 Busiest Train Stations -- Japan’s ‘Women Only’ Train Cars: Is it a Crime for Men to Ride?
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6 Comments
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nath
Now this is the alternative I was waiting for (instead of the full-height gates). Retrofitting existing trains and stations with full-height gates will require the train line to close for several days.
The question now is, is the wire rope screen durable enough to prevent someone from jumping or being pushed from the platform?
dcog9065
Looking at that picture it should be more than enough. plus they mention rows of "long, thick wires", no human body could break through a rows of thin wire. I'm more concerned with the wires being raised "just long enough for passengers to board or disembark", does that mean there won't be any more kakekomijousha, or sort of enforced time limits for station stops, etc.?
songwillem2011
@dcog9065 It could be design to drop in sequence like a wave as the train body passes from one section to other saving time without affecting safety. Plus since this is composed of wires rather than a full screen it may well be light enough to rise and drop very quickly thus not affecting time schedules.
Nessie
An intriguing design. I'm worried about people getting snagged. And I wonder why they didn't consider FRP.
basroil
ElvensilvanMar. 13, 2013 - 09:19AM JST
It can actually be done in a single night with good planning, at least one side of the platform.
As for this approach... I expect a dozen injuries in the first year alone, including lost fingers. There's a reason why nobody else uses cables. Better than nothing, but they really should have stuck with standard platform gates.
cabadaje
The snagging thing has me a little worried too. If you just can't squeeze into the car, and the gate starts coming down, wouldn't you get caught between the doors and the gate?