Opposite Side Door Open Button in Cab

[filmteknik]

I apologize if what I am suggesting does in fact already exist and I simply never noticed.  I don't ride that often.

Presuming it doesn't exist, shouldn't there be a button in the cab to open doors on the opposite side?  I'm not talking about a closing button; safety and common sense require the motorman to cross over, look back along the train and close the doors only when it is safe to do so.  But is there any reason that the doors can't be opened from the cab?  The idea is that the doors can be opened as soon as the train stops instead of waiting for the operator to cross over to the left side.  This shaves several seconds off each center island stop and that adds up.  The cost of such a feature on new cars would be trivial and could be added to existing cars as overhauled for a modest amount as it's just running a couple of wires and a button.

 

[Busjack]

I apologize if what I am suggesting does in fact already exist and I simply never noticed.  I don't ride that often.

Presuming it doesn't exist, shouldn't there be a button in the cab to open doors on the opposite side?  I'm not talking about a closing button; safety and common sense require the motorman to cross over, look back along the train and close the doors only when it is safe to do so.  But is there any reason that the doors can't be opened from the cab?  The idea is that the doors can be opened as soon as the train stops instead of waiting for the operator to cross over to the left side.  This shaves several seconds off each center island stop and that adds up.  The cost of such a feature on new cars would be trivial and could be added to existing cars as overhauled for a modest amount as it's just running a couple of wires and a button.

 

Are you going to pay to install 1400 switches, when the operator still has to go over to the left side to inspect it before closing the doors? Also, they have to insert a key to activate the switch, so they would have to put the key into the right side, then take it out and put it in the left side. Otherwise, you'll have doors opening on their own (see the discussion of that last week).

And, BTW. CTA just got 700 5000s that are not going to be overhauled for another 18 years, at least.

Be glad that it isn't like the early days (say around 1996-2000)  when there weren't full cabs, and the operator had to open the door, take the microphone (on a long coiled wire) with him, and then activate the switch. Which reminds me that CTA is fiscally motivated to move door controls only when it can do something like get rid of several thousand conductors, not save a few seconds a stop.

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

I apologize if what I am suggesting does in fact already exist and I simply never noticed.  I don't ride that often.

Presuming it doesn't exist, shouldn't there be a button in the cab to open doors on the opposite side?  I'm not talking about a closing button; safety and common sense require the motorman to cross over, look back along the train and close the doors only when it is safe to do so.  But is there any reason that the doors can't be opened from the cab?  The idea is that the doors can be opened as soon as the train stops instead of waiting for the operator to cross over to the left side.  This shaves several seconds off each center island stop and that adds up.  The cost of such a feature on new cars would be trivial and could be added to existing cars as overhauled for a modest amount as it's just running a couple of wires and a button.

 

Given that the train operator would still have to lean out the window to check if nobody was in the way of the doors (Busjack mentioned that above), or the CTA would have to install cameras and monitors on the trains to do that, the costs outweigh the benefits. Station dwell times are always different, so the operator needs to be looking out as soon as possible anyways.

Some operators are zippy. After they close the doors, they can get their train moving fast.

[See Tea Eh]

Better idea, though doubtful it would happen, would be to get a few hundred left-side-cab cars and assign them to the Blue Line which has, I think, all of three stations (not including terminals) that would require the operator to walk over to the right side.  Even of those cars wound up getting dispersed to other lines, at worst it would be a wash vs. the current right-side cab design.

[briman94]

There are no "buttons" for opening/closing doors...it's like a toggle switch. You can see it up close if you ride in the "railfan window" area of the cars. There is a switch for each side of the train on each set of door controls, but they don't use them except maybe at O'Hare to open both sides at once for the middle track. In terms of time, a lot of drivers will wait for the train to slow to about 3-5 MPH and then get up and walk to the left side at island stations, and wait for the train to finish stopping but they'll already be leaning out the window waiting to open the doors. It's not more than two or three seconds for them to walk back to the controls when they close the door, so it really wouldn't save much time.

[chicagopcclcar]

On the Market Frankford "el" they have something about what you are speaking to.  The operator controls door opening and closings...this is OPTO. When the platforms are on the left side, a closed circuit TV broadcasts the view to a monitor in the front cab allowing the operator to open and close the train doors. In the a event of a failure of the system, the operator leaves the cab and opens the left side window and operates the doors.  Passengers if seated would have to move. 

This systems operates on the newer cars. "In Philadelphia, SEPTA, Market Frankford "el" in January 1997, began taking delivery of a fleet of 220 new cars for the Market-Frankford from AdTranz. The cars, designated M-4, are the first new cars for service on the MFL since 1960. Audio and text station stop announcements. Illuminated front train type and destination signs. Passenger Communications: Interior and exterior station stop, train type and destination announcements. Door announcements. CCTV: Close Circuit Television door surveillance system for additional safety". Safety brochure, SEPTA.
 

[Busjack]

Better idea, though doubtful it would happen, would be to get a few hundred left-side-cab cars and assign them to the Blue Line which has, I think, all of three stations (not including terminals) that would require the operator to walk over to the right side.  Even of those cars wound up getting dispersed to other lines, at worst it would be a wash vs. the current right-side cab design.

Conversely, it wouldn't make any sense for lines using the Loop L, because the heaviest loading and unloading would be downtown, and all those stations are on the right. Hence, that would take something like splitting the 7000s order in half between 400 left cab cars for the Blue Line and the rest for the Orange and Brown Lines and "expansion."

[briman94]

Conversely, it wouldn't make any sense for lines using the Loop L, because the heaviest loading and unloading would be downtown, and all those stations are on the right. Hence, that would take something like splitting the 7000s order in half between 400 left cab cars for the Blue Line and the rest for the Orange and Brown Lines and "expansion."

Maybe they could implement some sort of automatic opening system when the new berth enforcement system is implemented? It really doesn't save that much time though; 5 seconds per station at most.

[strictures]

I apologize if what I am suggesting does in fact already exist and I simply never noticed.  I don't ride that often.

Presuming it doesn't exist, shouldn't there be a button in the cab to open doors on the opposite side?  I'm not talking about a closing button; safety and common sense require the motorman to cross over, look back along the train and close the doors only when it is safe to do so.  But is there any reason that the doors can't be opened from the cab?  The idea is that the doors can be opened as soon as the train stops instead of waiting for the operator to cross over to the left side.  This shaves several seconds off each center island stop and that adds up.  The cost of such a feature on new cars would be trivial and could be added to existing cars as overhauled for a modest amount as it's just running a couple of wires and a button.

 

I see it as a different problem. An added open other side switch isn't needed as far too many motormen won't open the doors until they open the window & look out it.

Why? If you stopped correctly at the stop mark, then every car door is at the platform & there's no need to look outside to open the doors. Closing them does require the motormen to look out. It's worst on 8 car trains, since most 8 car stop marks are at the far end of the platform.

The ones who do look out first are wasting 3-5 seconds per stop & on the Red Line that adds up to making the trains several minutes late by the time it gets to the Lake St. station. CTA needs to retrain them & after the retraining, crack down on the violators. Once a train is late, it can only get later because more people will have gotten on the platforms, making loading, unloading take longer.

[Busjack]

I see it as a different problem. An added open other side switch isn't needed as far too many motormen won't open the doors until they open the window & look out it.

Why? If you stopped correctly at the stop mark, then every car door is at the platform & there's no need to look outside to open the doors. Closing them does require the motormen to look out. It's worst on 8 car trains, since most 8 car stop marks are at the far end of the platform.

...

The first one is a good point. There is the solicitation for the berthing system, but, at least until then, there is the need to verify that the door can be safely opened.

[SlickFlair_859]

On 7/7/2015 at 11:34 AM, chicagopcclcar said:

On the Market Frankford "el" they have something about what you are speaking to.  The operator controls door opening and closings...this is OPTO. When the platforms are on the left side, a closed circuit TV broadcasts the view to a monitor in the front cab allowing the operator to open and close the train doors. In the a event of a failure of the system, the operator leaves the cab and opens the left side window and operates the doors.  Passengers if seated would have to move. 

This systems operates on the newer cars. "In Philadelphia, SEPTA, Market Frankford "el" in January 1997, began taking delivery of a fleet of 220 new cars for the Market-Frankford from AdTranz. The cars, designated M-4, are the first new cars for service on the MFL since 1960. Audio and text station stop announcements. Illuminated front train type and destination signs. Passenger Communications: Interior and exterior station stop, train type and destination announcements. Door announcements. CCTV: Close Circuit Television door surveillance system for additional safety". Safety brochure, SEPTA.
 

Not quite on the failure part. If the left side camera fails, they come out the cab and open a locked box next to the first left door that has trainline doors in it. 

 

The window with the slider on it was for an early proposal to make the cars full width, but due to issues with the cars, it was never implemented and no controls were placed there. This is why there is only now a half cab on the right.