Some metro stations have
platform screen doors between the platforms and the tracks. They provide more safety, and they allow the heating or air conditioning in the station to be separated from the ventilation in the tunnel, thus being more efficient and effective. They have been installed in most stations of the
Singapore MRT and the Hong Kong
MTR, and stations on the
Jubilee Line Extension in London. Platforms should be sloped upwards slightly towards the platform edge to prevent wheeled objects such as trolleys, prams and wheelchairs from rolling away and into the path of the train. Many platforms have a cavity underneath an
overhanging edge so that people who may fall off the platform can seek shelter from incoming trains. ( The one who wears a beret) on guard at the station platform For security against theft or to secure stowaways, some countries have special security officers stationed at stations, just like the police, but specifically for railways, For example, in
Indonesia and
Poland, there are special
railway security officers.
High-speed rail In
high-speed rail, passing trains are a significant safety problem as the safe distance from the platform edge increases with the speed of the passing train. A study done by the
United States Department of Transportation in 1999 found that trains passing station platforms at speeds of can pose safety concerns to passengers on the platforms who are away from the edge due to the aerodynamic effects created by pressure and induced airflow with speeds of to depending on the train body aerodynamic designs. Additionally, the airflow can cause debris to be blown out to the waiting passengers. If the passengers stand closer at , the risk increases with airflow that can reach speeds of to . In United Kingdom, a guideline for platform safety specifies that for the platforms with train passing speeds between and , there should be a yellow-line buffer zone of and other warning signs. If trains can pass at speeds higher than , the platforms should be inaccessible to passengers unless there are waiting rooms or screened areas to provide protection. The
European Union has a regulation for platforms that are close to tracks with train passing speeds of or more should not be accessible to passengers unless there is a lower speed limit for trains that intend to stop at the station or there are barriers to limit access.
Markings . Platforms usually have some form of warnings or measures to keep passengers away from the tracks. The simplest measure is markings near the edge of the platform to demarcate the distance back that passengers should remain. Often a special tiled surface is used as well as a painted line, to help blind people using a walking aid, and help in preventing wheelchairs from rolling too near the platform edge. In the US,
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 regulations require a detectable warning strip wide, consisting of truncated dome bumps in a visually-contrasting color, for the full length of the platform.
Curvature Ideally platforms should be straight or slightly
convex, so that the guard (if any) can see the whole train when preparing to close the doors. Platforms that have great curvature have blind spots that create a safety hazard. Mirrors or
closed-circuit cameras may be used in these cases to view the whole platform. Also passenger carriages are straight, so doors will not always open directly onto a curved platform – often a
platform gap is present. Usually such platforms will have warning signs, possibly auditory, such as
London Underground's famous phrase "
Mind the gap". There may be moveable
gap filler sections within the platform, extending once the train has stopped and retracting after the doors have closed. The
New York City Subway employs these at
14th Street–Union Square on the
IRT Lexington Avenue Line and at
Times Square on the
42nd Street Shuttle, and formerly at the
South Ferry outer loop station on the
IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line. ==Notable examples==