The Platform Train Interface (PTI)

[158801]

You arrive at the station, your train is in the platform, you're running a bit late - so you make a dash for your train.

Then there's a lot of shouting. People screaming at you to move away from the train - just as it starts to move out.

It's not very customer friendly to be shouted at - but they're doing it for your safety.

At an unstaffed station there's no one to shout at you and it could be potentially dangerous to stay near the train as it pulls out.

So, my proposal...

Train doors at fitted with LEDs around them. They glow green when the doors are unlocked and ready for use. Once the command to close them has been given (by the driver or guard) they turn red - and stay red - until the train has departed (or reaches 15mph).

Initially people won't know what the red/green lights mean but I believe that it would soon become part of "culture" and people would see the red lights and know that they are too late

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Train doors at fitted with LEDs around them.

Some modern trains (e.g. the Merseyrail 777s) have these on the inside.
Green when the doors are unlocked and red when they are beeping and closing.

Although of course they are not of much use to people on the outside and they go blank once the doors are shut and locked.

 

[slowNsteady]

I could potentially see a problem with so many red lights around a station but I like the idea. Nothing is idiot proof but it would help

 

[bavvo]

I think this is an excellent idea. My dad had severe sight loss, and having the outline of doors brightly lit, with colours indicating lock state as well, would have helped enormously, far more than the current approach of just painting the doors a different colour. Doors out of use (beyond the usable platform area for instance) could be left unlit completely for that stop.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You arrive at the station, your train is in the platform, you're running a bit late - so you make a dash for your train.

Then there's a lot of shouting. People screaming at you to move away from the train - just as it starts to move out.

It's not very customer friendly to be shouted at - but they're doing it for your safety.

At an unstaffed station there's no one to shout at you and it could be potentially dangerous to stay near the train as it pulls out.

So, my proposal...

Train doors at fitted with LEDs around them. They glow green when the doors are unlocked and ready for use. Once the command to close them has been given (by the driver or guard) they turn red - and stay red - until the train has departed (or reaches 15mph).

Initially people won't know what the red/green lights mean but I believe that it would soon become part of "culture" and people would see the red lights and know that they are too late

There's already a big orange light on the bodyside that will tell you that. Maybe it should be publicised a bit. I do recall when central door locking was fitted to Mk2 and Mk3 coaches (I know this is slightly different in meaning) there was a big campaign of "it's fruitless if it's not orange" (bit of a pun there!) which made people aware of this and not to bother trying if the light had already gone out.

Irritatingly the Merseyrail Class 777 lacks these lights, which if you're used to them is annoying as you can't readily see if the doors are still unlocked. (The red/green is on the inside).

 

[158801]

There's already a big orange light on the bodyside that will tell you that. Maybe it should be publicised a bit. I do recall when central door locking was fitted to Mk2 and Mk3 coaches (I know this is slightly different in meaning) there was a big campaign of "it's fruitless if it's not orange" (bit of a pun there!) which made people aware of this and not to bother trying if the light had already gone out.

Irritatingly the Merseyrail Class 777 lacks these lights, which if you're used to them is annoying as you can't readily see if the doors are still unlocked. (The red/green is on the inside).

I don't think the orange light is that obvious to the average customer

 

[vuzzeho]

Train doors at fitted with LEDs around them. They glow green when the doors are unlocked and ready for use. Once the command to close them has been given (by the driver or guard) they turn red - and stay red - until the train has departed (or reaches 15mph).

Initially people won't know what the red/green lights mean but I believe that it would soon become part of "culture" and people would see the red lights and know that they are too late

This is becoming more common with new trains. The Merseyrail 777s, as mentioned, have them, and HS2's 895s are currently set to have them on the inside too. It's already sort of a thing in continental Europe. It's a good idea.

 

[Class73Electro]

I've seen metro Trains in Stockholm with this, I think its a a good idea, but I bet you will still get some people try. Its more obvious then the yellow lights on most stock

 

[YorksLad12]

I think a steady white light when open, flashing orange when closing. Thinking red-green colourblindness here (which is another reason to hate the grey-amber-grey reservation lights on the 8xx-series trains).

 

[D365]

You arrive at the station, your train is in the platform, you're running a bit late - so you make a dash for your train.

Then there's a lot of shouting. People screaming at you to move away from the train - just as it starts to move out.

It's not very customer friendly to be shouted at - but they're doing it for your safety.

At an unstaffed station there's no one to shout at you and it could be potentially dangerous to stay near the train as it pulls out.

So, my proposal...

Train doors at fitted with LEDs around them. They glow green when the doors are unlocked and ready for use. Once the command to close them has been given (by the driver or guard) they turn red - and stay red - until the train has departed (or reaches 15mph).

Initially people won't know what the red/green lights mean but I believe that it would soon become part of "culture" and people would see the red lights and know that they are too late

The requirement for enhanced visual signalling of door status is already enshrined within European legislation in the form of EN 14752 ”Railway applications - Bodyside entrance systems for rolling stock”.

I expect that somebody will be along to remind me of the relevant clause number(s), and in which year this requirement was introduced, as I don’t currently have access to the latest versions of the standard.

 

[zwk500]

Train doors at fitted with LEDs around them. They glow green when the doors are unlocked and ready for use. Once the command to close them has been given (by the driver or guard) they turn red - and stay red - until the train has departed (or reaches 15mph).

Door LEDs going Red are already used to indicate faults, aren't they? The door lights only lighting up when active is reasonably clear.

Initially people won't know what the red/green lights mean but I believe that it would soon become part of "culture" and people would see the red lights and know that they are too late

The light being extinguished is already a known value for the vast majority of passengers, which can be evidenced from the fact people waiting to alight typically don't press the button until seeing it light up. The behaviour from late runners in regards to the lights going out is fairly expected. People will rush for the doors when the lights beep, even if there is no hope of them boarding, and then either step back once the lights go out, or hammer on the door regardless. Some might make a couple of hopeful presses before stepping back.

I do not see anything from current passenger behaviour, or the trends of it, to suggest that passengers would do anything different if seeing a red light from seeing a blank one.

 

[edwin_m]

Door LEDs going Red are already used to indicate faults, aren't they? The door lights only lighting up when active is reasonably clear.

Except on 197s apparently, where "door not in use" lights up all the time except when it is released.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I don't think the orange light is that obvious to the average customer

There could easily be a campaign promoting it similar to the 1998 InterCity one. "It's fruitless if it's not orange" was quite a good pun/slogan too!