Train doors require GPS signal to open despite stations being underground (2014)

#1

Post by ColinWright » Sat, Mar 14, 2015, 1:50 PM UTC

Train doors require GPS signal to open despite stations being underground (2014)
ciras.org.uk

Re: Train doors require GPS signal to open despite stations being underground (2014)

#2

Post by themartorana » Sat, Mar 14, 2015, 2:13 PM UTC

"...and the trains have needed to be rebooted."

Nope. No thanks. Do not need my trains to be so "smart" that the only way to get them working properly is CTL-ALT-DELETE.

Seriously.

Re: Train doors require GPS signal to open despite stations being underground (2014)

#3

Post by Hello71 » Sat, Mar 14, 2015, 2:16 PM UTC

> However, we are aware that there are still occasional problems, which results in the Driver having to either manually tell the train where it is via the "location not found" option in the TMS, or in the event of that not working, using the emergency door release option in the train management system.

So... we added GPS to the trains so that doors could only be opened at stations. Then, we realised that this was a terrible idea and probably against safety regulations, so we added a function to do this anyways but buried it in menus so it couldn't be accessed in a real emergency.

Sounds like a manglement-directed idea if I ever heard one.

Edit: To clarify, I meant that if there is a manual release for the doors... what's the point of the GPS system?

Re: Train doors require GPS signal to open despite stations being underground (2014)

#4

Post by lyso » Sat, Mar 14, 2015, 2:22 PM UTC

Site seems to be down, here is a text-only cache: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Z4ZDqEM...

Re: Train doors require GPS signal to open despite stations being underground (2014)

#5

Post by marbletiles » Sat, Mar 14, 2015, 2:25 PM UTC

> Operation of Class 377 train doors require a (GPS) signal to identify that the train is in a station to allow the Driver to open the doors. Effectively this prevents the doors being operated in error when the train is not at a station and as such is a safety feature of the trains.

Was there some epidemic of doors being opened outside stations that I missed? This smacks of a solution looking for a problem

Re: Train doors require GPS signal to open despite stations being underground (2014)

#6

Post by hahainternet » Sat, Mar 14, 2015, 2:26 PM UTC

Hello71 wrote: post #3

> However, we are aware that there are still occasional problems, which results in the Driver having to either manually tell the train where it is via the "location not found" option in the TMS, or in the event of that not working, using the emergency door release option in the train management system. So... we added GPS to the trains so that doors could only be opened at stations. Then, we realised that this was a t…

I very much doubt this is related to emergencies. Don't you feel it's a bit dishonest to use words such as "we" when it seems you haven't a clue how this actually works?

Re: Train doors require GPS signal to open despite stations being underground (2014)

#7

Post by TillE » Sat, Mar 14, 2015, 2:28 PM UTC

hahainternet wrote: post #6

Hello71 wrote: post #3

> However, we are aware that there are still occasional problems, which results in the Driver having to either manually tell the train where it is via the "location not found" option in the TMS, or in the event of that not working, using the emergency door release option in the train management system. So... we added GPS to the trains so that doors could only be opened at stations. Then, we realised that this was a t…

I very much doubt this is related to emergencies. Don't you feel it's a bit dishonest to use words such as "we" when it seems you haven't a clue how this actually works?

"There are concerns that this could delay an emergency exit if an incident were to occur, leaving passengers at risk."

Re: Train doors require GPS signal to open despite stations being underground (2014)

#8

Post by danparsonson » Sat, Mar 14, 2015, 2:28 PM UTC

Hello71 wrote: post #3

> However, we are aware that there are still occasional problems, which results in the Driver having to either manually tell the train where it is via the "location not found" option in the TMS, or in the event of that not working, using the emergency door release option in the train management system. So... we added GPS to the trains so that doors could only be opened at stations. Then, we realised that this was a t…

Indeed, the proximity between "emergency door release" and "train management system" is a bit disturbing in that sentence (that is, if we assume 'system' to be 'computer system' which needn't necessarily be the case of course)

Re: Train doors require GPS signal to open despite stations being underground (2014)

#9

Post by TillE » Sat, Mar 14, 2015, 2:31 PM UTC

The only advantage GPS would have is that you don't have to install something (eg, a powered RFID tag) in each station. And yet, they've had to install "GPS repeater beacons" to work around this problem. Sounds like a typical case of bad design.

Re: Train doors require GPS signal to open despite stations being underground (2014)

#10

Post by blibble » Sat, Mar 14, 2015, 2:41 PM UTC

marbletiles wrote: post #5

> Operation of Class 377 train doors require a (GPS) signal to identify that the train is in a station to allow the Driver to open the doors. Effectively this prevents the doors being operated in error when the train is not at a station and as such is a safety feature of the trains. Was there some epidemic of doors being opened outside stations that I missed? This smacks of a solution looking for a problem

it's more common that the driver opens the doors on the wrong side, or at a short platform opens all the doors instead of, say the first 8