In the next phase, Metro will have platform screen doors

In a bid to prevent rising cases of accidents and suicides, Delhi Metro has finally decided to join the league of most mass-rapid transit systems in Asia and Europe by installing platform screen doors (PSD) at its stations under phase 3. Subhendu Ray reports.

In a bid to prevent rising cases of accidents and suicides, Delhi Metro has finally decided to join the league of most mass-rapid transit systems in Asia and Europe by installing platform screen doors (PSD) at its stations under phase 3. This year, 25 suicides have taken place at various Metro stations.

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A fortnight ago, the corporation invited tenders for designing, manufacturing and installing automated half-height (1.7 m) PSDs at all the 38 upcoming stations of the 59-km Line 7 (Mukundpur-Shiv Vihar) and 25 stations of 37-km Line 8 (Janakpuri West-Botanical Garden) on a build operate and transfer (BOT) basis.

"These are going to be crowded stations and PSDs have been planned to manage the crowd," said Mangu Singh, managing director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

According to DMRC officials, screen doors will help reduce growing cases of accidents and suicides on tracks. Presently, only the airport Metro line stations have full length doors.

The 38 stations on Line 7 will cover a large portion of the Ring Road and many crowded areas of Delhi and the 25 stations on Line 8 will cover a large portion of Outer Ring Road and many crowded areas of Delhi.

"Currently, tenders have been invited for installation of screen doors only on two major lines but it would subsequently cover other stations on other lines of phase 3," a DMRC spokesperson, said.

Of the existing stations, Singh said they have plans to install PSDs at three stations - Rajiv Chowk, Kashmere Gate and Central Secretariat - which are interchange stations and register huge footfall daily.

According to him, installing screen doors in these stations will be difficult as these are operational. Delhi Metro will not invite tenders for installation of PSDs in these stations and will try to do it on its own, said sources.