In Parliament
Written Reply by Minister for Transport S Iswaran to Parliamentary Question on Proposal to Raise Height of Station Platform Doors for Above-Ground MRT Stations
14 September 2021
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(Measures to prevent recurrence of incident where commuter climbed over platform door to train tracks)
Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Transport in light of the recent incident where an MRT commuter had climbed over the station platform door to access the train tracks
a. how are safety protocols enhanced to prevent similar incidences from occurring in future; and
b. whether there are plans to raise the height of the station platform doors for above-ground stations.
Reply by Minister for Transport S Iswaran:
1. On 2 August 2021, train services between Ang Mo Kio and Yishun stations were disrupted as a commuter had climbed over the Platform Screen Doors (PSDs) onto the tracks at Yio Chu Kang station. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the fellow commuters and SMRT staff for their quick and effective response which brought the commuter to safety.
2. Safety of commuters and public transport workers is our utmost priority. In particular, there are safety features and established procedures to ensure the safety of commuters. At all our MRT stations, we have PSDs to prevent commuters from falling accidentally onto the tracks, emergency telephones for commuters to communicate with station staff, and Emergency Stop Plungers (ESP) to stop the trains in times of emergencies. In the recent incident, commuters activated the ESP and emergency protocols were immediately put into action. After assessing the situation, the Operations Control Centre stopped train service and switched off the power supply along the railway tracks. Station staff responded quickly and persuaded the commuter to return to the station platform safely.
3. For passenger safety and comfort, the height of our PSDs at the above-ground MRT stations have been designed to cater for sufficient airflow. The height of our PSDs are also comparable to those used in other cities such as Taipei and Hong Kong. There are no plans to raise the height of the PSDs at aboveground stations.