Doors opening before train fully stopped

[bananas]

On the Victoria line I have occasionally noticed the doors starting to open a fraction of a second before the train had fully reached a standstill, but then on one particular train today I noticed it happening consistently at every station. It doesn't seem like it poses any real danger because the train is moving very slowly and there's no way you could get in or out until it's fully stopped, but I was still surprised. I've not noticed it on any other tube lines but I haven't been using them as regularly so I can't say for sure. Questions: is this a new phenomenon, is it allowed, is it considered safe, is it intentional, if so what is the reasoning for it, and if not what is the cause? (Is it down to the driver to open the doors, or are they just programmed to open automatically once the train is stopped in a station?)

 

[CarrotPie]

is it considered safe

If you can't get off before it's fully stopped and the train is braking to a stop anyway, then I don't see why it isn't safe. It happens all the time on the metro in Helsinki - and you can get off before the train's stopped - and the world doesn't end.

Many trains allow the doors to open below a certain speed, like 5 km/h, to allow for small inaccuracies in speed measurement. This limit has generally got smaller over the years as speed measurement has got better - it could be that that specific unit thinks it's going ever so slightly slower than it actually is?

 

[Trackman]

There's been a thread about this:

Victoria Line doors opening before train has stopped.

Thought i was imagining things that the doors start to open ever so slightly before the trains have come to a complete stop. However, a friend just told me the exact same thing so it can't have been my imagination. has the software been updated recently to save time? it's barely noticeable &...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Mattplans]

I noticed this all the time when I used to use the Bakerloo line. What’s really peculiar is the doors are operated by the driver. I can’t imagine them opening doors before the train has fully stopped?

 

[stuu]

It was very common when the C Stock were in use on the Circle Line. You could step out just before the train came to a stop with a particularly keen driver.

 

[bramling]

I noticed this all the time when I used to use the Bakerloo line. What’s really peculiar is the doors are operated by the driver. I can’t imagine them opening doors before the train has fully stopped?

The Bakerloo line trains are almost deliberately designed to allow it. The handle can be dropped in the rheo 1 & hold position below a certain speed without triggering an emergency brake application, which allows the driver to have his fingers ready on the door buttons.

It would (should…) be picked up on a competence assurance assessment or road test, but otherwise it’s one of those things where something of a blind eye is turned, simply because the performance benefit massively outweighs the risk.

And from a passenger perspective, what would you prefer? The doors opening promptly, or the extremely annoying second or so delay that you get on lines line the Northern and Jubilee?

 

[Dstock7080]

(Is it down to the driver to open the doors, or are they just programmed to open automatically once the train is stopped in a station?)

On all LU Lines the doors are opened by the driver.

The handle can be dropped in the rheo 1 & hold position below a certain speed without triggering an emergency brake application, which allows the driver to have his fingers ready on the door buttons.

The front cab must also be within the CSDE Correct Side Door Enable loop for the doors to be opened, a tolerance of around 1m.

 

[Recessio]

I was on a Victoria line train at Pimlico now that was still travelling fast enough that when the doors opened, the door opening backwards against the direction of travel was struggling to open! I've noticed Pimlico is often a "touch and go" because of how few people board or alight there, but I've never seen the doors open that early before.

Edit: it just did the same at Warren Street too.

 

[3141]

I was on a Victoria line train at Pimlico now that was still travelling fast enough that when the doors opened, the door opening backwards against the direction of travel was struggling to open! I've noticed Pimlico is often a "touch and go" because of how few people board or alight there, but I've never seen the doors open that early before.

Edit: it just did the same at Warren Street too.

In the 1950s on the pre-1938 or Standard stock on the Piccadilly Line, it quite often happened that the guard pressed the button to open the doors well before the train had stopped. As described above, the door opening backwards against the direction of travel was almost unable to open, while the one opening forwards shot open as the train braked to a stop. At stations with not many passengers such as Caledonian Road the dwell time could be very short, because the doors were open before the train was stationary, and the guard could observe no-one getting out (bad luck if they'd remained seated until the train had stopped!) and anyone boarding getting in immediately. So he closed the doors after very few seconds and gave the driver the signal to depart.

 

[Purple Train]

I've noticed this a few times and even as an irresponsible teenager I have been unable to board or alight before the train has come to a complete stop, so it doesn't particularly bother me.

 

[Krokodil]

I've noticed it on the Bakerloo, but was on the Zurich S Bahn weekend before last and was able to step off of a slightly moving train.

 

[andy33gmail]

Presumably before door locking was brought in, it would be pretty normal to open the door and hop off before the train stopped … or open the door and get on whilst the train was chuffing away?

 

[swr444]

The 95 stock drivers definitely used to do this pre CBTC

 

[Dstock7080]

Presumably before door locking was brought in, it would be pretty normal to open the door and hop off before the train stopped … or open the door and get on whilst the train was chuffing away?

The last trains with swing doors were Metropolitan Line T Stock withdrawn in 1962.
District C, D, E Stock; collectively H (handworked) Stock with sliding doors, withdrawn 1958.

 

[Busman]

On the Victoria line I have occasionally noticed the doors starting to open a fraction of a second before the train had fully reached a standstill, but then on one particular train today I noticed it happening consistently at every station. It doesn't seem like it poses any real danger because the train is moving very slowly and there's no way you could get in or out until it's fully stopped, but I was still surprised. I've not noticed it on any other tube lines but I haven't been using them as regularly so I can't say for sure. Questions: is this a new phenomenon, is it allowed, is it considered safe, is it intentional, if so what is the reasoning for it, and if not what is the cause? (Is it down to the driver to open the doors, or are they just programmed to open automatically once the train is stopped in a station?)

Did you ever get on a 59 or 62 stock train?

They flew open a full second before the train stopped.

 

[philthetube]

Did you ever get on a 59 or 62 stock train?

They flew open a full second before the train stopped.

There was no interlocking on these stocks, the guard could open them at any speed.