Doors are cut because the platform length is not long enough. The problem with this kind of door cut is that it can cause a panic situation when the doors do not open just as you are about to get off the train. Of course, there are station notices and in-train announcements to warn passengers of this situation. Take, for example, Slanvairpool Station in North Wales, which I discussed in my previous article. The platform length is so short that a three-car train would overhang the platform by about half. If all the side doors were to be opened at once, some passengers would fall in where there is no platform. So when I told the crew that I wanted to get off at Slanvairpur, they told me to come to the front door. This is because only the frontmost door is manually opened by the crew to let passengers get on and off. Such situations in which some doors are closed due to insufficient platform length can be seen in Japan as well. For example, Kuhonbutsu Station on the Tokyu Oimachi Line has a five-car train, but the platform is only long enough for four cars. Therefore, the doors of the first car in the Futakotamagawa direction do not open at this station only. This is because the station is located between a railroad crossing in front of and behind the station, and it was not possible to extend the platform even if it had been desired to do so. On other lines, some level crossings have been relocated to accommodate platform extensions, but this would be impossible at Kuhonbutsu because there is no road running parallel to the tracks. At Taura Station on the Yokosuka Line, too, doors were cut off because the platform length was not long enough for the 11-car trains. This is because the station is surrounded by tunnels and it is difficult to extend the platform length. Therefore, the first car on the Kurihama side for down trains headed for Kurihama and the first car on the Yokohama side for up trains headed for Yokohama are subject to the door cut. In addition, there are cases where the doors are cut only for the extra cars because the platform length is not sufficient for the extra cars. However, this seems to occur rarely in recent years.
Platforms are there, but door cuts Despite the fact that the platform length is long enough to cover all the cars, door cuts sometimes occur. These are the “Okhotsk” and “Taisetsu” limited express trains on the Ishihoku Main Line. Both of these trains normally have three-car trains, but during peak season they are sometimes expanded to four or five-car trains. In such cases, however, doors are sometimes cut at intermediate stations. The reason for this is the combination of cars and platforms. In March 2023, the “Okhotsk” and “Taisetsu” trains will be replaced by 283 series diesel railcars that were transferred from the “Oozora” limited express trains on the Nemuro Main Line. However, unlike the Series 183 diesel trains that preceded them, Series 283 diesel trains do not have steps on their entry and exit platforms. This caused a large difference in the level between the cars and the platform. Therefore, when the Series 283 was introduced, the platforms were raised at Shirataki, Maruseppu, Engaru, Ikutawara, Rubezebetsu, Bihoro, and Memanbetsu stations. However, this was only for three cars. Normally, this would be sufficient for a three-car train, but it would not be enough for an additional train. However, the company probably could not make the investment decision to raise the platforms by four or five cars for the limited time available for additional trains. Therefore, when additional trains were added, some cars were unable to open their doors at intermediate stations. At Asakusa Station, the starting point of the Tobu Isezaki Line (Tobu Skytree Line), doors were cut on Lines 1 and 2. The reason for this is that the platforms are narrow and sharp curves create large gaps between the car body and the platform. The problem arises when the line is extended later, so the doors are cut at the Kitasenju end of the line.
© Source travel watch
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