Chennai Metro snippets

In all the Chennai Metro Rail underground stations, a floor-to-ceiling glass barrier at the edge of platforms will prevent passengers from accessing the track. People cannot fall or jump in front of trains with the doors in place. This is a safety feature that even Delhi Metro doesn’t have. The automatic doors will slide open when a train arrives and stops at a station, allowing passengers to move on and off the train. Platform screen doors will open and close simultaneously along with the doors of the train. The decision to have such a system was taken following Delhi Metro’s experience with commuters who often attempt to hold the automatic doors of trains open during rush hour. The trains are designed in such a way that they will not move unless all doors are shut. Delhi Metro Rail is planning to install such screen doors at two of its stations – Rajiv Chowk and Kashmere Gate. When there is no train at the station, the screen doors will seal off the track and tunnel area from the platforms, helping prevent the airconditioned air from escaping into the tunnel. Platform screen doors are a new feature in metro networks across the world. It is available at Metro rail stations at London, Paris, Singapore, Thailand, Taipei and China. The doors are also there in some of the major airports like Frankfurt where monorail is used to ferry passengers from one terminal to another. Chennai Metro Rail has awarded a Rs 3.3crore contract to Arthur D Little Ltd to install the screen doors at underground stations. Chennai Metro Rail will have 19 underground stations along the two corridors. Of the 17 stations on the Washermanpet-airport corridor, 11 stations will be underground -- Washermanpet, Mannadi, High Court, Central, new Secretariat, LIC, Thousand Lights, Gemini, Teynampet, Nandanam and Saidapet. Eight stations on the Chennai Central-St Thomas Mount corridor, including Egmore, Nehru Park, Kilpauk Medical Collage, Pachaiyappa College, Shenoy Nagar, Anna Nagar East, Anna Nagar Tower and Thirumangalam, will be underground.