Mind the gap!

[NickFitz]

At least on London Underground you only have a single train type to deal with.

On the contrary, there are many kinds of rolling stock on the Tube: Category:London Underground rolling stock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Spacecadet]

On the contrary, there are many kinds of rolling stock on the Tube: Category:London Underground rolling stock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

IIRC each line only has one type running on it

[VectraMan]

Carriages have different lengths and are usually longer compared to the olden days. A long straight line on a curve is a recipe for longer gaps.

Of course thats a boring answer so instead I'll blame Bob and Kraut train designers.

Are platforms curved then? I can't think of any that I use that aren't straight.

[Zippy]

IIRC each line only has one type running on it

The District line to Wimbledon has two different types.

[Freamon]

And having a physical barrier between passengers and the line is possible and relatively easy to engineer. The Jubilee line has this, as does the Singapore MRT

Platform screen doors - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What really represents modern Britain is the almost total reliance on victorian age engineering!

The Jubilee line extension is the only place in the UK that has really solved the problem. Not only are the screen doors there to prevent people falling or jumping off the platform, you'll notice when you step onto the train that the gap between train and platform is very small indeed (a couple of cms at most) and the two are always at the same level so there is no step up or step down.

When the JLE was being planned, the business case for the screen doors was very clear - the extra cost of putting the doors in and maintaining them was far lower than the cost of dealing with all the accidents and (more frequently) suicides and the knock-on economic costs of all the delays while they were cleared up.

[BrilloPad]

When the JLE was being planned, the business case for the screen doors was very clear - the extra cost of putting the doors in and maintaining them was far lower than the cost of dealing with all the accidents and (more frequently) suicides and the knock-on economic costs of all the delays while they were cleared up.

Indeed. And the advantage of new stations is they are straight. I bet now someone is going to tell me about a new station which is curved....

[Joeman]

She'd probably got that same train a million times before, and each time happily steped over the gap as have countless other people, So why should we have to have physical barriers between the platform and the train?? for the 0.00001% of times that someone slips??

Trains break down enough as it is without introducing more complexity.

Also, what would happen in the event of a fire on the train? imagine the train pulls into the station, doesnt quite line up with the doors on the platform so they dont open, and everyone burns to death as they cant get out of the train..

Personally, i cant stop laughing at this video

[original PM]

I kind of agree - if we head down this route then how long before we have roads with perspex panels all the way along with doors only at crossing???

It is very difficult to engineer a perfect solution which takes into account all potential risk considerations and mitigates them..

at some point you have to rely on the user to not be a complete tit

[Spacecadet]

I kind of agree - if we head down this route then how long before we have roads with perspex panels all the way along with doors only at crossing???

What? Like railings?

[doodab]

The gap also depends on the length of the cars and position of the bogies as well as the curvature of the platforms themselves.

Another problem is the inconsistent height of platforms and rolling stock. There is often 8" or more vertical distance as well.