Door close buttons

[py_megapixel]

I'm not advocating removing them if they are useful, but I personally don't see the point of door close buttons.

Doors on new-build trains close automatically after a minute or so anyway to avoid the air conditioning wasting energy. And it's possible to accidentally close the doors when someone is boarding or alighting, as happened a few times when the Central line had them.

I just am interested in whether people would particularly miss them or not.

 

[CarltonA]

I use them on the Chiltern 165s occasionally in hot or cold weather as we could be standing for a while at certain stations (Marylebone, Banbury, High Wycombe (bay) etc.

 

[aleggatta]

When the door barrier is blocked/faulty preventing the auto close feature a door close button is most helpful!

 

[kc_]

Also useful to close the door when no more people can fit in the part of the train you are in, to not encourage more passengers to try their luck there.

 

[edwin_m]

Also useful to close the door when no more people can fit in the part of the train you are in, to not encourage more passengers to try their luck there.

Wouldn't people just walk up to the door, press the open button, realise it's full and carry on to another door? Which would take longer than if they just glanced at the open door as they approached it.

I tend to agree they are pretty pointless on trains where there is an auto-close after a time limit, which I think is all the modern air-conditioned units but not any pre-privatization stock.

 

[kc_]

Wouldn't people just walk up to the door, press the open button, realise it's full and carry on to another door? Which would take longer than if they just glanced at the open door as they approached it.

I tend to agree they are pretty pointless on trains where there is an auto-close after a time limit, which I think is all the modern air-conditioned units but not any pre-privatization stock.

They tend to want to get on the train as soon as possible, so will prefer an already open door to one that's shut and visibly crowded. Also nice to be able to shut the door to be able to lean against it.

 

[transmanche]

I tend to agree they are pretty pointless on trains where there is an auto-close after a time limit

The door close buttons are useful on very cold days, even on units with an auto-close function. A lot of heat can be lost in the time it takes the auto-close to kick in, so I tend to close the door behind me when boarding if there's no-one else nearby.

 

[bramling]

I'm not advocating removing them if they are useful, but I personally don't see the point of door close buttons.

Doors on new-build trains close automatically after a minute or so anyway to avoid the air conditioning wasting energy. And it's possible to accidentally close the doors when someone is boarding or alighting, as happened a few times when the Central line had them.

I just am interested in whether people would particularly miss them or not.

Given how many people use them, even on not-particularly-cold days, I’d say there are certainly people who would miss them. However personally it wouldn’t bother me.

 

[jon0844]

They tend to want to get on the train as soon as possible, so will prefer an already open door to one that's shut and visibly crowded. Also nice to be able to shut the door to be able to lean against it.

Yes, but not so good if the door controls are still active and you lean on the door and someone decides to try and board anyway.

Leaning on doors isn't a great idea anyway, as too much pressure could cause the brakes to be triggered?

 

[kc_]

Leaning on doors isn't a great idea anyway, as too much pressure could cause the brakes to be triggered?

Did not know this. I've seen people lean heavy suitcases up against doors on Desiros, but the guards on northern's new CAF stock do keep mentioning 'door malfunction' due to passengers near them. Might be this?

 

[kc_]

As an aside, some units flash the LEDs around the close button a few seconds before the doors actually close, to give you additional warning that they are closing. I can't see the LEDs being removed, so why not just keep the button too?

 

[furnessvale]

I was once on a packed train at Old Roan when the doors remained open for quite some time because the driver did not have a road. The blizzard was blowing horizontal into the train and there were no close buttons.

Would I have liked a close button......YES!

 

[Kingspanner]

This morning my 0640 DND-MBR (usually a 158) was cancelled due to Northern incompetence/trespassers on the railway so I stamped around in -5C weather until the 0717 appeared which was, yes you've guessed it, a Pacer. 142095 in fact, with practically no saloon heat at all. And yes, at Thornaby I used the door close button. Thawing out at the moment next to an elderly fan heater....