Rethinking LRT Platform Safety
Today’s incident at BPLRT is very tragic and unfortunate. My condolences to the family of the deceased.
According to news reports, the man fell onto the tracks at BPLRT in the early morning hours and was fatally struck by an incoming train.
Unfortunately, similar incidents have also occurred across our LRT networks over the years.
Even though there are video-analytics-based track intrusion systems in place, such as iSafe and VAnGuard used in BPLRT and SPLRT respectively, incidents like today’s show that they are not completely foolproof. Detection may not always be immediate or fully accurate in real-time situations.
Some people may suggest installing platform screen doors (PSDs) like those found in MRT stations, which fully barricade the platform with sliding doors synchronised to train doors. LRT stations currently only use platform barriers, meaning they are not fully enclosed and have gaps for passengers to board and alight. This issue has also been raised in Parliament before, where the authorities explained that PSDs require additional power supply, communications, and signalling equipment. Given that LRT stations are smaller and more compact than MRT stations, it is often not practical to install all the required supporting infrastructure. The constraint is not just the PSDs per se, but also the other systems needed for them to work.
There is also the emergency stop plunger system, but its effectiveness still depends on human reaction time and whether the situation is detected early enough to stop an approaching train. In this case, since the incident reportedly occurred around 5am, there were likely fewer bystanders, which may also limit how quickly anything could have been noticed or acted upon.
That said, it is worth noting that SMRT has been exploring newer PSD concepts that are not tied to the signalling system, but instead rely on LiDAR sensors and video analytics to detect train approach and control door operations. As of April, this is still in the proof-of-concept stage, as shared on SMRT’s social media pages. If such systems prove reliable, it could be a meaningful step forward for LRT platform safety. Hopefully, this technology can be accelerated and expanded across BPLRT, and that SBS Transit can also pursue similar upgrades across SPLRT in the future.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DWoB562k4j1
At the end of the day, no system can eliminate risk entirely, but incidents like this highlight why continuous upgrades matter. Hopefully, this will be the last of such tragedies on our LRT system.