Platform gap fillers are movable platform edge extensions at subway or railway stations where the curvature of the platform creates a significant gap between the platform and subway or train car door.

Hong Kong

Platform gap fillers were trialled on the platforms of Lo Wu station on the East Rail line in 2009 due to the difficulty of installing

platform screen doors Platform screen doors (PSDs), also known as platform edge doors (PEDs), are used at some train, rapid transit and people mover stations to separate the platform from train tracks, as well as on some bus rapid transit, tram and light rail syste ...

on the curved nature of the platforms. They were planned to be installed at other stations along the line along with signal upgrades. However, during the trial period, MTR found that the time taken for the gap filler to fully extend took 15-20 seconds and so greatly increased dwell times of trains. It was decided unsuitable for service. After the trial period ended in October 2009, the platform gap fillers were not used until it was finally removed during a platform-strengthening maintenance operation. Plans to install it on other stations of the East Rail line were also abandoned.

Japan

Some Japanese railway stations have platform gap fillers, which are known as . Over 200 fillers are used in the Tokyo subway.

London Underground

With the introduction of the NTfL, Transport for London are hoping to introduce platform gap fillers on the Bakerloo,

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Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Court, ...

lines (of which 14 platforms have been identified for installation) at curved platforms such as Bank, where the gap between the train and the platform can exceed 1 foot.

New York City Subway

The Interborough Rapid Transit Company's first cars were built with only two doors on each side, at the extreme ends of the car, lining up with the curved platforms so as not to leave a wide gap between the train and the platform. When the IRT modified existing cars and ordered new cars with a middle door, gap fillers were needed because the middle door was not near the platform. After the City of New York bought the IRT in 1940, new car designs (starting with the

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) had the end doors away from the extreme ends of the car body, which also required the use of gap fillers at certain stations.

Stations equipped

IRT stations with gap fillers are: * South Ferry, outer loop. The station closed on March 16, 2009 and was replaced by a new station which does not require gap fillers. After the latter station was damaged by flooding during Hurricane Sandy, the loop station was reopened as a temporary terminus on April 4, 2013. The 2009-era station reopened on June 27, 2017. * Brooklyn Bridge – City Hall (IRT Lexington Avenue Line) originally had gap fillers on the express platforms. These were deactivated when the station was extended northward. These gap fillers are still in place and can be seen just south of the current platforms. *

14th Street – Union Square (IRT Lexington Avenue Line) 14 (fourteen) is a natural number following 13 and preceding 15. In relation to the word "four" ( 4), 14 is spelled "fourteen". In mathematics * 14 is a composite number. * 14 is a square pyramidal number. * 14 is a stella octangula number. ...

has gap fillers on both tracks on the downtown platform. There may have been gap fillers on the uptown express platform. A new design of gap filler was installed in 2004 to provide maintenance access from the platform rather than requiring crews to stand at track level. * Times Square (IRT 42nd Street Shuttle) had gap fillers on Shuttle tracks 1 and 3. They were mounted under the platform rather than on it, so they were not ADA accessible. They were removed in 2021 when the station was rebuilt.

Singapore

Platform gap fillers are used in the Mass Rapid Transit system of Singapore, namely the North South MRT Line and the East West MRT Line. Platform gap fillers are also planned for installation on trains on the

North East MRT Line The North East MRT line (NEL) is a high-capacity Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Singapore. Operated by SBS Transit, it is the shortest MRT line at . The line runs from HarbourFront station in southern Singapore to Punggol station in the n ...

and the

Circle MRT Line The Circle MRT Line (CCL) is a medium-capacity Mass Rapid Transit line in Singapore operated by SMRT Corporation. It runs in a currently incomplete loop from Dhoby Ghaut station in the city area of Singapore to HarbourFront station in the so ...

as well, because newer trains can be equipped with gap fillers.

Germany

Many regional trains in Germany come with platform gap fillers, such as the Bombardier Talent 2. On subway networks, they have also become more common, as evidenced by the Nuremberg U-Bahn whose 1970s first generation VAG Class DT1 do not have them but whose

VAG Class DT3 The VAG Class DT3 is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft Nürnberg on the Nuremberg U-Bahn system. It is the first type of rolling stock on the Nuremberg U-Bahn that has gangways between the indi ...

of the 2000s and 2010s and VAG Class G1 of the 2020s come equipped with automatic gap fillers.

References

External links

*{{Commonscat-inline, Train station platform gap fillers New York City Subway Railway safety Railway platforms ja:ホームドア#車両とドア間の安全対策