New Delhi:
Railways is mulling installing automatic doors in AC coaches of some premier trains, on the lines of those in Metro, to enhance passengers' safety and check criminal activities on board running trains.
The new system will be controlled by the driver or guard from his cabin and with his command, all the doors will automatically open when train arrives at station, and close when it departs. Currently, train doors are opened and closed manually.
"Train will not move unless all the doors are closed in the automatic door system. The driver and the guard will have command control of the system at their cabins," a senior Railway Ministry official said.
A meeting of the Railway Board was held last week to finalise the proposal for introducing automatic doors system in trains.
"RDSO (Research Design and Standards Organisation) is finalising the specifications for the system to be fitted in a rake of 20 AC coaches in the Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala as a pilot project," the official said.
However, the official said, "Before equipping the first rake with the system, a non-AC coach in Delhi Division will be made operational with the automatic closing door system for trial purpose."
Several lives have been lost with passengers falling off running trains while standing on foot-board.
According to the official, Allahabad High Court had directed Railways to install automatic doors in passenger coaches to prevent passengers from falling off running trains. Railways had appealed to the Supreme Court against the order, but the apex court had upheld the High Court decision.
Railways is planning to install the automatic door system in all mail and express trains. "The system is being considered as more safe in long-distance super fast trains to ensure foolproof safety to passengers. Besides, the new system will also help in curbing criminal activities on running trains," the official said.
Besides Metro trains, high speed trains in foreign countries have automatic doors in each coach.
"It has been noticed that passengers travel on foot-board or standing at door while undertaking journey by trains though it is not permitted. So, the proposed system will be effective in checking mishaps and criminal activities on running trains," he said.
As Railways is actively considering to increase speed of passengers trains, the new technology of automatic doors is expected to be installed in all such trains.