Delkor Rail engineers have recently returned from the UK where they developed a pilot project with Heathrow Airport to make rail travel safer for travellers to Heathrow.
The Heathrow Express is the fastest way from central London to Heathrow Airport, with trains departing every 15 minutes and most passengers having luggage with them for their travels. A high occurrence of incidents for travellers getting on and off the Heathrow Express led to the investigation of ways to reduce the gap between the platform and the train.
Terminal 5 was chosen as the site for trial as it was on straight track, could easily be monitored and had a high volume of passengers travelling with luggage. Delkor Rail then custom designed Platform Gap Fillers in conjunction with Interfleet UK; with the teams working together to develop prototypes and the trial product.
Platform Gap Fillers are mounted in strips along the edge of platforms to reduce the gap between the platform and the entrance of a passenger train; ensuring that when a train has stopped at a platform, passengers are able to enter and exit with safety, especially important when there are a high volume of passengers carrying luggage.
Strategically located along the platforms where the train car doors open, Platform Gap Fillers can significantly improves passenger safety and also increases efficiency of entry and exit times on the station platform.
The initial Delkor Rail Platform Gap Filler installation was completed on three door locations. After just one week of operation feedback is very positive and the trial is to be extended over all door locations on the T5 platform for further evaluation.