Railway Platform - Platform Safety

Platform Safety

In high-speed rail, passing trains are a significant safety problem, as the safe distance from the platform edge increases with the speed of the passing train. Several countries have laws that prohibit trains passing platforms above certain speeds (usually 200 km/h or 124 mph). For stations on high-speed lines this leaves two alternatives unless all trains stop there: Either a speed limit for passing trains is introduced or the station has to be rebuilt to include tracks that do not pass platforms.

Some metro stations have platform screen doors between the platforms and the tracks. They provide more safety; also they allow the heating or air conditioning on the station and the ventilation in the tunnel to be separated, thus being more efficient and effective. They have been installed in most stations of the Singapore MRT and the Hong Kong MTR, as shown in the photos below, and the newer stations forming the Jubilee Line Extension in London.

Platforms should also be sloped upwards slightly towards the platform edge to prevent wheeled objects such as trolleys, prams and wheelchairs from rolling away and into the path of the train.

Many platforms also contain an area underneath the edge of the platform so people who by any chance fall off the platform can seek shelter from incoming trains. A dangerous practice that sometimes occurs is sitting on the edge of the platform, which requires being fast enough in withdrawing the legs when a train arrives.