How Are Subways Evacuated?

[chicagopcclcar]

Here is a real situation..... Blue line derailment with reports by the National

Transportation

Safety Board

PB2007-916302

Derailment of Chicago Transit Authority

Train Number 220 Between Clark/Lake

and Grand/Milwaukee Stations

Chicago, Illinois

July 11, 2006

You get the see the official report and see it so yourself.

http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/2007/RAR0702.pdf

DH

[briman94]

I'm familiar with that incident, and in a situation where the tunnel is blocked, evacuation by foot makes complete sense. What about, however, a situation in which trains are still able to move free through the tunnel but all trains and people must be removed from the tunnel as quickly as possible, such as during the reported bomb threat last night? Did they remove passengers by train, or did they have everybody leave through stations? It seems like removing them by train might be a quicker solution unless the bomb threat was reported to be on a train.

[chicagopcclcar]

I would expect all trains would be held at the next station. Control would make by radio. Any trains stopped in between stations would proceed slowly stopping short of their leader. On trains standing on stations or standing just out from stations, passengers can sit out the delay or use other bus lines.

DH

[sw4400]

I would expect all trains would be held at the next station. Control would make by radio. Any trains stopped in between stations would proceed slowly stopping short of their leader. On trains standing on stations or standing just out from stations, passengers can sit out the delay or use other bus lines.

DH

On a typical delay, perhaps... but anyone who wants to sit out a bomb threat delay is crazy with a capital "C".

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

Physically how? The CTA has walkways and exits along the tunnels in between stations. I saw two of them on the Blue Line when I commuted from UIC. If something happens in the station, you probably know how to leave since you entered anyways...

For subways outside of Chicago, a number of subways don't have platform height walkways. Hong Kong, London, and Singapore come to mind. You walk at track level, and trains have emergency doors at the front and rear cabs that either open like regular doors, or open down and become ramps. This is safer in Hong Kong and Singapore because some trains in Singapore and all trains in Hong Kong use overhead wires for power. To overcome the fourth rail problem in London, devices are used to create a short circuit in the rails, which triggers a cut in the power supply and reduces the danger of walking at track level.

...What about, however, a situation in which trains are still able to move free through the tunnel but all trains and people must be removed from the tunnel as quickly as possible, such as during the reported bomb threat last night? Did they remove passengers by train, or did they have everybody leave through stations? It seems like removing them by train might be a quicker solution unless the bomb threat was reported to be on a train.

Chicagopcclcar has your answer, but on a somewhat related note, I heard that during 9/11 the subway station underneath the twin towers was evacuated by trains already en route to and from the station.

[Busjack]

...but on a somewhat related note, I heard that during 9/11 the subway station underneath the twin towers was evacuated by trains already en route to and from the station.

They couldn't have had much time, as there were reports that PATH trains were crushed.