Rope Screen Doors to Enhance Safety at Taiwan Railway Stations
Install Rope Screen Doors at Selected Railway Stations
In a bid to prevent accidental falls onto railway tracks, Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) plans to install rope screen doors in some stations. The state-run railway company notes an average of 10 intrusions on railway lines each year.
TRC has already set up a trial of rope screen doors on a platform at Kaohsiung Railway Station. The goal is to complete the installation of these doors on a 300m-long platform by the end of this year, with operations starting in March next year following a three-month test. The project is estimated to cost NT$149.8 million (US$4.6 million).
Feng Hui-sheng, TRC president, stated that the trial was held at Kaohsiung Railway Station due to its 300m-long platform and variety of trains. The rope screen doors consist of steel ropes with a speed detector that lift only when the train has stopped and the doors are open. These doors also have a light detection and ranging system that sounds an alarm when people approach too closely.
Specialists believe that individuals trying to run through the ropes would be bounced back, making climbing over them challenging. Feng explained that rope screen doors were chosen over platform doors seen at Taipei and Kaohsiung MRT stations for better air ventilation on the platforms.
TRC will install rope screen doors at railway stations based on factors such as passenger numbers, safety incidents, and platform designs. The costs would gradually decrease as more doors are installed. Before establishing penalties for damaging the doors, TRC plans to educate passengers on how they function.
Rope screen doors, also known as rope-type screen doors (RSDs), serve as an innovative, cost-effective solution for enhancing safety at railway platforms. While less effective than solid doors in preventing intentional acts, they offer versatility for various infrastructure conditions. The successful trial at Kaohsiung Railway Station could pave the way for rope screen doors at other stations.
- In future installations, rope screen doors may be implemented at railway stations with high passenger numbers, safety incidents, or specific platform designs, as determined by Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC).
- The cost of installing rope screen doors is estimated to decrease as more doors are installed across various stations, making it a cost-effective solution for enhancement of safety at railway platforms.
- Unlike platform doors in Taipei and Kaohsiung MRT stations, rope screen doors provide better air ventilation on platforms, making them a preferred choice for stations like Kaohsiung Railway Station.
- Rope screen doors, or rope-type screen doors (RSDs), have shown potential as an innovative safety measure in Taiwan's railway industry, offering versatility to accommodate various infrastructure conditions, even though they may not be as effective as solid doors in preventing intentional acts.
