Yamanote Line automatic doors

Looks like the advertising is going to get hidden out by the new doors. Wont be long before that advert might have to be attached to the new safety doors instead of the train doors.

The Yamanote Line auto doors are due to start operation soon. I wrote a few weeks ago about the electronic doors being installed at Ebisu and Meguro. This is an update showing the door panels now in place at Ebisu station.

The panels look a bit strange without the doors attached.
The gap here is where currently the 6 door train carriages stop. Most Yamanote Line trains have 4 doors on each side of the carriage, but they tried out 6 door carriages with fold up seats for a while. Those carriages are going to be retired, but until they are, there will be no safety doors for that portion of the platform.
Looking back at the doors that have been installed at Ebisu station.
This device looks like it will be used by the JR platform staff to check that all doors are closed properly.
An advert explaining how and when the doors will be working.
All of the carriages and doors are numbered. The safety doors highlight this and also give some warning tips about not getting caught in the automatic system.
This portion is one of the 6 door carriage sections.

Do you have safety barriers like this in your part of the world?

ebisuJRmegurosafetystationtrainyamanote
Comments (13)
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  • mypapa12
    mypapa12

    In the new “fully automated” subway line in Paris, there are glass doors that open when the subway is stopped. There is no driver for this line, and you can go to the front of the carriage and enjoy the view 🙂

    You can see the doors a bit here:
    http://www.tout-paris.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/metro_ligne_14_paris.jpg (opened on the front, look behind the carriage for the closed doors)
    http://www.blogencommun.fr/blog/wp-content/uploads/metro-automatique-ligne-1.jpg

    • Kris

      Dude, is it sad that I got excited for seeing pictures of a subway in Paris? I really want to go to Paris one day too XD

  • insidethesilhouette
    Orchid64

    I’ve always wondered what the initial (or main) motivation for the doors was in Japan. We don’t have them in the U.S., so I’m thinking they are related to the number of jumpers in Japan… though they could also be to stop people from drunkenly falling on the tracks. :-p

    • shibuya246
      shibuya246

      I think it is a combination of accidental falling and intentional jumping. A lot of the subways started the trend, although I remember visiting Singapore and seeing them have such systems on their subway way before Japan started to adopt it.

  • Neksus

    People jump for many reasons, if you really want to go that way you find the method anyway.
    It could help the not so sure to avoid an irreparable mistake.

  • lithiumangel
    lithiumangel

    I haven’t been to Singapore before; but comparing Japan’s trains to the trains in Holland, Belgium and Germany for example.
    The Japanese trains rush trough the station at a very high speed; and come to a halt relatively quickly (without being slammed around inside; I do admire this high-tech braking technology :P) where as trains over here in West Europe (Not talking about the UK :P) slow down before gently riding in the train station. I think this reduces incidents; I mean seriously it’s scary fast how hard those trains drive in the stations or trough them if they don’t have a stop there compared to here. (Tough business as usual in Tokyo)
    So no, we don’t have those gates here; no plans to install them either.

  • Kris

    I’m just learning Kanji but I can’t quite make out when it says the doors will be operational … when will they?

    • shibuya246
      shibuya246

      26 June this year for the start at Ebisu. They will be installing these gates station by station, so it will take a while to get all the stations on the Yamanote Line equipped, then they will have to come back and fill in the 6 door carriage parts as well.

  • whipcracker
    whipcracker

    Yamanote Line automatic doors, Japan Trains http://bit.ly/duK1AS A great way to prevent accidents. Win Win for everyone. It’s great tha the japanese have come up w/this idea. Over here we don’t have many train stations around. Although I’ve never been to the ones in Dallas. most ot their commuter trains are outside. It will be fore ever and many years before there is train service in this part of the country. Hoping to someday be able to ride the trains of Japan.

  • jonallen1966
    Jon Allen

    They installed the doors on the other side of the platform over the past weekend.

    • shibuya246
      shibuya246

      fantastic. I will have to get back down then when they start operations.