Delhi Metro|DMRC to get platform screen doors to prevent suicides at stations

New Delhi: With increasing ridership and instances of people jumping on metro tracks to commit suicide, the Delhi metro faces a difficult task of manning crowd at its stations. To make things easier, the Delhi metro rail corporation (DMRC) plans to install platform screen doors (PSDs) at its stations.

Currently, only the airport line has such doors. They are unmovable screens that act as a partition between platforms and trains.

By the end of the year, the DMRC wants to install PSDs at six metro stations between Central Secretariat and Kashmere Gate on the yellow line.
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PSDs will be installed at Central Secretariat, Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi, Chawri Bazar, Chandni Chowk and Kashmere Gate. Chawri Bazar will be the first station to get a PSD on the line.

Speaking on the DMRC’s plan, a company spokesperson said, “The work of the installation of platform screen doors is under process. The work is expected to be completed after DMRC gets the necessary clearances for the installation of these doors from the safety and technical angle.”

The installation is a challenge for the DMRC as passenger movement is heavy at these stations.

“Theses screens can be installed only during non-revenue hours. Lot of integration is required with various components of metro operations for smooth operation,” the official added. PSDs will also be installed on the upcoming Majlish Park-Shiv Vihar and Janakpuri West-Botanical Garden corridors.

The doors will also help metro officials, preventing cases of suicide. After 17 suicides and 49 suicide attempts in 2012, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) had asked the DMRC to install CCTV cameras at the end of the platforms. CISF staff closely monitors the camera feed before the trains arrive on platforms. The doors will also help better crowd management, DMRC officials say.

“The height of the doors would be 1.7 metres and one side of the platform will have 64 display panels (LCD screens) besides platform screen gates for advertisements,” an official added. The contract has been awarded to a consortium of Korean and Indian firms.