Why Most North American Metro Systems Don't Have Platform Screen Doors 

Also, in Vancouver they already have a system that prevents deaths by jumping in front of the trains. On the Canada Line there are laser intrusion detectors that automatically stop the train if movement is detected on the tracks. On the Expo and Millennium Lines there are pressure plates that do the exact same thing. Translink found a solution to this problem that fit in with their situation of having multiple rolling stock on their transit system.

In Britain you will only find (full height) screen doors on newly built lines. They only exist in London, on the below ground stations of the Jubilee Underground line extension, completed at the end of 1999, and on the below ground core stations of the new Elizabeth line, opened May 2022. It is a main line/metro hybrid and now runs through to main lines both east and west of London, including Heathrow airport. It is similar to the RER lines in Paris, which started in the 1970s. Toronto has the UP (Union station-Pearson International Airport) Express train line. It has full height platform screen doors at each terminus, but not at the intermediate stations.

Thanks for this deep dive! Keep the good content coming!

the Automated peoplemover in North American airports has screen doors. they should consider doing that for New York Subway and the BART in the bay area.

the simplest problem for New York is the one that was glossed over from the report: not all trains are the same size. At present, we have 8 car trains of 60 foot cars, 10 car trains of 60 foot cars, 5 car trains of 60 foot cars, 4 car trains of 60 foot cars, 8 car trains of 75 foot cars and 4 car trains of 75 foot cars. and that's just the B division. Any PSD system would need to know what kind of train is pulling into the station and respond correctly every time without fail .

They have platform screen doors at Bart Oakland airport air train terminal. It would be very nice for them to install them in more Bart stations and platforms

In Singapore, if one platform screen door doesn't close properly, the whole train can't move

German metro systems don’t have Platform Screen doors either but they will finally appear in the upcoming U5 in Hamburg

The MTA in NYC is supposed to be working on implementing this.

The first ten miles Honolulu's first Metro Rail line which opens June 30th has platform screen doors at its stations.

My local station had something similar installed recently. The differences: They are manual, someone has to open the gates when there's a train. The gates also close the entire platform, not just the edge.

As a regular SkyTrain rider in Vancouver, I can say that their current track intrusion system is less than ideal. First off, there are two designs of that in the system: the pressure plates at all Expo Line stations between Waterfront and King George, and the laser based system on all Millennium and Canada Line stations (plus Sapperton and Braid on the Expo Line). As such, they cannot be used at all when there is heavy snowfall, in which case the system will be turned off and staff will monitor every train, necessitating them to run slower and less frequent. Because the track intrusion system is activated whenever there are obstacles on the track, emergency brakes will be applied to the train at full force, regardless whether a human or a water bottle is on the track. This is the most frequent cause of injuries while on the train. The easiest line to install platform screen doors is the Canada Line, as all trains are identical with the same door layout. However, they were omitted because of mismanagement that plagued TransLink throughout much of the 2000's when the line was being built. In the Millennium Line, PSD's can also be installed as only the Mark II runs there, however because it shares the same track system as the Expo Line, that means Mark I's can also run there as well. Mark I's are the short stubby cars that have two doors per side, as opposed to three per side on the Mark II and III. While PSD's with wider doors can accommodate both Mark II and III's (despite the different spacing between cars 2 and 3 on both sets), it is the presence of the Mark I's that preclude such PSD installations. BC Transit (who operated the system until splitting into TransLink in 1999) never anticipated the Expo Line to have ridership grow so rapidly, and as such, the Mark I's were designed as no more than a small people mover vehicle, leading to severe overcrowding on those trains and totally unfit and ill-suited to ridership levels of today (Mark II and III trains handle overcrowding much better). With the management troubles at TransLink, they opted not to replace the Mark I's around 2010 (which was the projected end of life for those trains) which made the situation much worse as the Mark I's are so poorly built they vibrate much more than newer trains, leading to a worse riding experience, alongside the lack of air conditioning unlike every other trains. Mark II and III's were properly designed to be high capacity rapid transit vehicles from the start. Fortunately, this problem will be rectified with the delivery of Mark V trains (5 car sets instead of 4 cars) from late 2023, and the whole order of 41 trains will be delivered until 2026, finally replacing the suboptimal Mark I trains, something that all riders very much look forward to. These new Mark V trains still have the same door layout as Mark II/III and as a result PSD's will work with these new trains.

6:04 Ha! Stood at that station, exact same spot on my commute home each evening. As that platform gets quite crowded, that’s one station that could use these doors and likely falls into that 27%. That said, there’s no political will power to spend money on infrastructure of any type in the states, where deferred maintenance is the rule.

Airport people movers in america have platform screen doors as well as the monorail and people mover systems in Las Vegas.

Singapore above ground stations also didn't have platform screen doors at first but they have now

Whoa! What is up with all the BART hate in the transit tuber community? BART is actually pretty good system with a ton of capacity and pretty much constant expansion and improvement. BART is still planning to install platform-screen doors on most of its stations. This project was paused because of the new trains switching to three doors instead of two. This upgrade was judged to be a lot more transformational than platform screen doors and was this prioritized. Also, despite the weird obsession that some transit tubers have over platform screen doors, there are a toooooon of other upgrades that are both cheaper, faster to build, and a lot more transformational. Our transit services need to first learn how to run before they try to fly. There is a lot of work that needs to be done before platform screen doors are the main remaining priority. Platform screen doors won't do much for services that barely muster enough ridership for 30 minute frequencies (*cough* MARTA *cough*).

Good video. Good job. You did good.

Maybe we can do a standard rolling stock on the SkyTrain! Or maybe we can start with the Canada Line and then if we standardize the rolling stock for the other lines we can add platform screen doors later

For the narrow section of platform at 5:28, if passengers were allowed to walk from 1 train car to the next, maybe that section could be cordoned off to allow alighting only, with boarding allowed only from other stretches of the platform that are wider

The London Underground has installed half-height platform screen doors on its Waterloo & City (aqua) Line.

Here in Mumbai we have half screen doors

A big problem with platform screen doors is if a train comes in and has to stop short for some emergency. The train doors won't line up with the platform doors trapping people.

I feel like New York could use the smaller ones instead of full height. Same for most other cities. They just need to actually do it. Don’t worry about the cost, just do it.

because when North American transit agencies are saying they put safety first, they actually don't. They care more about money and make laughable excuses to not installing PSDs.

In Thailand the MRT has full height platform doors. The BTS has the half height doors on about half of their stations. I'm not sure why some have them and some don't,,,,,,,,,,,,

So funny how many of our safety regulations and bylaws actually prevent implementation of safety.

Wait I think have Platform Screen Doors Are Cool in Singapore Quite like them but ... A bit blocking view if it was on A Elevated station

well psds in sg were first used to save air con anyway so

Philly use two types of rolling stock but it is on different lines. So they don't have compatibility problem. Except for underground stations which have pillars none of the elevated segements have any obstructions. And since its already open air, half height would be enough and weigh less. There is nothing stopping it short of just money and political will. Heck the underground stations are so dilapidated they might as well rip it up amd redesign it from scratch and include screen doors

Generally older metro systems do not and not many metro systems outside of Asia have them

"With a notable exception being the las vegas monorail" Seattle Monorail: *Ahem* Overall though great vid.

Also, trains wouldn’t have the technology to open the PEDs unless they get refurbished.

Who is Bart?

Well money talks. As for safety, that’s only for lip service.

Political may be the truth and you have to put up with some passengers that would say they don't want them, claiming they have a freedom to behave any way they want to. I know I may be the mean man for blocking people and I might sound like if I am a man that comes from the big fortune 500 corporation world but there is nothing wrong with telling the truth. I also don't believe in fortune tellers, etc.

Yeah - it makes no sense that we do not have these.

1:25 Japan Earthquake

Well it's simple really. If people can't get injured and blame someone else, how can they sue anyone?? It's the whole basis of American society.

Profits over people!

I think the bigger question is…. Why do a very limited few rail systems have Platform Screen Doors when the vast majority of the world manages perfectly well without them.

Bigger question.. Why America don't have metro systems

I actually kind of disagree, that are safer, yes they are safer on one level, when it comes to assault, suicide, and just accidentally falling. But another level, what if you had an event like the uk, just had rare yes, but I can see the train basically being a coffin. I think partial is actually better, over all. Even though I like the look at the glass, and seems it's nice for noise reduction. Someone also mentioned detectors in subways. So I think if you combined both a detector, and a partial it should find. You may even a full glass to create a waiting room/lobby as pre curser, but good create a nicer feel, *tho expensive.

It's the funeral industries lobbying.

You buried the lede... It's $ that under-funded systems don't want to spend the dough on to save a single life. Simple as that. The technical reasons besides ADA requirements are flimsy at best.

I guess in the US its really that the car (automobile) wins and public transportation is just a jobs # for politicians. In Boston, everyone knows the MBTA is a disaster (that has been having baby disasters) but the people who would do something about it just drive (and now WFH) . If you want an excuse to not do something ask MBTA

As a railfan I dislike platform screen doors because they obstruct the view of the trains. I saw them get installed on Taipei Metro over a 4-5 year period. They initially put them at the busiest stations and eventually all stations got them (half height). Newer stations underground received full height doors.

You know I am in Singapore right? I am safe so sorry for your you are not safe

Emotionless

Nationalize the metro systems and mandate them for all stations. The problem is these so called “private” rail companies don’t want to regulate themselves. That’s why other countries don’t have this problem these things are mandated by the government.

Yea all systems need platform screen doors!!!

We prefer useless light rail

Money is the only reason. If they did build more, most likely it would reduce other maintenance expenses, and cleaning.

You need to relax a bit more when you talk and not seem so tense.

Because we’re a third world country

Them screen doors are not needed in China. Just a waste of money