Five Metro stations on Gurgaon line to have platform screen doors

Following incidents of commuters falling on Metro tracks at busy stations, as well as suicide attempts, the Delhi Metro has decided to install half-platform screen doors at five underground stations on the Jahangirpuri-HUDA City Centre corridor as a pilot project.

The seven-feet-high doors will act as a protective barrier and separate the platform from the track.

Earlier, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was examining the possibility of introducing platform screen doors, similar to those installed at the Airport Metro Express Line stations. However, there were apprehensions that the underground tunnels might get overheated due to lack of ventilation. Officials said the plan has now been reworked, and half-length platform screen doors, approximately seven-feet high, have been finalised.

Stations with high ridership on the underground stretch of the Jahangirpuri-HUDA City Centre, such as Kashmere Gate, Chawri Bazar, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi, Rajiv Chowk and Central Secretariat are being examined for the project. "We will finalise five stations on the underground section for the half-platform screen doors. These stations are crowded and platform doors are expected to add to the commuter safety," said Raj Kumar, Director (Operations), DMRC.

"However, there are likely to be some problems with the installation of such doors as the movement of trains might be slowed down since two sets of doors — those of the coaches and the platform screen doors — will have to be open and close before a train can move. Also, the installation of these doors on the platforms will be a challenge as we will have to wait for the non-operational hours to install them. The pre-qualification tenders are slated to be invited shortly," Kumar said.

After a four-year-old boy got stuck between the doors of a Metro train and was dragged along the length of the platform at Rajiv Chowk station on January 28, a fact-finding team has concluded that the incident had taken place due to overcrowding.

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