CHENNAI: To prevent people from crossing or jumping onto tracks, all elevated stations in the 118.9km phase-2 network will have platform screen doors (PSDs). Recently, Chennai Metro Rail Limited floated a tender to design, manufacture, install and commission doors for the 27 stations in the 26.1km corridor-4 from Lighthouse to Poonamallee bypass.
A section of corridor-4 will be opened first for the public by June 2025. The 118.9km phase-2 with 128 stations has a 2025 deadline.
According to the tender, underground stations will have full height platform screen doors while elevated stations will have half height platform screen doors. In corridor-4, 18 stations will have half height psd in 36 platforms and nine stations will have full height psd in 18 platforms. PSDs will be designed and installed for three-car trains.
"PSDs are installed mainly for passenger safety. It prevents accidental falls from the platform onto the lower track area, suicide attempts and homicides by pushing," an official said. The half-height platform screen doors in elevated stations will also allow air circulation.
In phase-2, PSDs are important as trains will be driverless and all operations will be automatic. Phase-2 has 48 underground and 80 elevated stations. In corridor-4, Power House in Kodambakkam to Poonamallee bypass with 18 stations is expected to be ready by June 2025.
Officials said PSDs also prevent accidents when service trains pass through stations at high speed, reduces the wind felt by passengers caused by piston effect which could in some circumstances make people fall over the tracks. In underground stations, these doors save power consumption by preventing air from the air conditioners from escaping. It also improves sound quality of platform announcements as it cuts noise from the tunnels and trains.
The PSDs are linked to the signalling system as it automatically opens when it syncs with the doors of a train that stops at a platform. Besides automatic doors, the PSDs will have manual secondary doors for emergency evacuation of passengers from the train away from the station, emergency escape doors when the PSDs do not open automatically and fixed screens, an additional safety feature to prevent passengers from falling off on the tracks.
