Platform doors to be installed at 882 train stations before Tokyo 2020 Olympics

You see? People have been falling off the tracks and hit by trains since trains have been rolling, and this topic has been fiercely debated iver the last decade in particular. And then suddenly they’re worried about what other people might think before the Olympics? I wish Japan would have some pride in itself that did not depend on doing the right thing for he sake of how it looks, and do it because it should be done.

due to fatal accidents involving visually impaired passengers falling onto train tracks in 2016, 

...not to mention the mentally impaired cell phone zombies who suffered similar fates.

 People whine no matter what.

If people didn't "whine," the world would be a much worse place.

too bad it took getting the olympics for the govt to do this, should have been done a long time ago not just to show off to visitors

This is a good thing how anyone can turn this negative is beyond me

@Strangerland: I agree with your post.

Why is everything for the Olympics? They started doing this over a decade ago but it was a very slow process. Now, because of the Olympics they are gonna hurriedly put them on all stations. However, this will also allow them to ignore the reason why these expensive and labor-intensive barriers need to be installed. Yes, they will stop the few accidents every year, but they are there to stop the hundreds of suicides every year. This is just a way to hide the fact from the rest of the world without having to address why so many people jump in front of trains in the Tokyo region.

This is a good thing how anyone can turn this negative is beyond me its a great thing, no doubt about it. but why did it take them so long to do it. seems image is more important than safety in some situations. A number of years ago an American friend of mine lived near a Japanese dam, a dam that is primary use for drinking/home use he always thought it was an eyesore the amount of rubbish that was floating in it. after a storm the rubbish that flowed it was huge, still the rubbish was left there until it sunk or was washed over the spillway. Finally he decided to go to the city office and complain saying all the unpleasant things that go with complaining, it was his threat to take photos and send it back home to American news center/environmental groups to show them what Japans waterways where like...within a week there were guys in boats cleaning the dam, 2 weeks it was spotless, has been ever since. Once again the threat to their image is what fixed the problem, not that the rubbish was unhygienic!

If people didn't "whine," the world would be a much worse place.

Whining has its place, that can't be argued. But whining for the sake of it doesn't make the world a better place at all.

It is good that they are advancing the schedule. Now if they can add some more facilities for the handicapped that will take them from ground level to the platform fully by elevator, or at least clearly mark existing elevator routes, rather than have to phone ahead and be physically carried down the stairs that would be even better, both for the upcoming visitors and the increasing elderly folk with ambulatory problems here. Too bad it takes a Mega-event like the Olympics to get past the inertia (and the budget issue).

@Goodluck - Actually the Tokyo Metro is jointly owned by the Tokyo City Govt. and the Japanese Govt. Taxpayer pays for this one either way, partially subsidized by the metro fares. This is a good thing!

Disillusioned: This is just a way to hide the fact from the rest of the world without having to address why so many people jump in front of trains in the Tokyo region.

smith: And then suddenly they’re worried about what other people might think before the Olympics?

Wow I actually thought (foolishly) that this would be a story no-one could whine about.

Well, good on them for adding those, despite the fact that it was just for the olympics. This will surely prevent accidental falls onto the tracks, but it will never prevent intentional suicides. People can easily jump over the approximately 150 cm fence. The best thing to do would be to install fences/doors that fill up the entire vertical space, i.e 2-3 meters high. I used to live in Kyoto, and they had the latter in the subway stations which I found really good. That way it would be physically impossible for anyone to jump on the tracks.

this will also allow them to ignore the reason why these expensive and labor-intensive barriers need to be installed. Yes, they will stop the few accidents every year, but they are there to stop the hundreds of suicides every year. This is just a way to hide the fact from the rest of the world without having to address why so many people jump in front of trains in the Tokyo region.

They aren't ignoring that as a reason at all. They've been open about the barriers being a suicide prevention tool. On top of that, you say they are not addressing why so many people jump in front of trains, but the fact is that they have been working on the suicide problem for a decade now, and they have achieved the goal they set out in 2007 of a reduction of 30% in the suicide rate. So they are addressing this problem, and having some success with it as well.

About time and hopefully this will help a lot.

Hopefully they USE 2020 to get a proper smoking ban in place! The IOC will likely need to add some serious Gaiatsu for this though sadly...

It’s good if it improves safety but what does it have to do with the olympics?

Not to mentioned the drunk guy who bumped into the last person in line on the platform, creating a domino effect and sending the person in the front into the tracks some years back. And who got arrested for that (preventable) death? Hint, not JR.

How do you explain the ones they installed before they knew the Olympics were coming?

Those are fine. I was specifically talking about these ones that are getting installed in addition to the others because of the olympics.

Nice to see it being installed and knowing it will help increase safety is really great news. Should make for speedier service as well.

Headline reads a little wrong guys. Shouldn't it be -

Platform doors to be installed at 882 train stations before Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Moderator: Yes, that would better. Thanks.

Gotta love JT posters:

"There are no gates? Japan sucks".

-- train companies commit to adding gates --

"They're adding gates? They suck for not doing it before"

This is why the internet sucks. People whine no matter what.

Why are we, the taxpayer paying in part, through MLIT, for a private business that racks in large profits for something that should been down years ago?

and when there is nothing, just bash Trump

I actually think you're right to some degree with this. I see a lot of stories about Trump where people are complaining (like the whole hamburger thing) that are just stupid to complain about. The problem is that it dilutes the legitimate times that people are complaining about Trump. The guy provides more than enough valid fodder. People need to start ignoring the snarky, petty bs on nothing issues (like the whole hamburger thing).

@Strangerland - You beat me to it. My point exactly. The fact that the Olympics is accelerating this is a positive thing in my mind. Too many people look for the negative in everything. As an entrepreneur I get asked often about things that make a business (or organization) successful. I find a positive attitude and seeing the good (or potential good) in things to be at the top (along with the ability to compartmentalize things)

If only as much effort was put into the reconstruction of tohoku...

Excellent.

Nice to see that the increased the number of stations recently.

This and improved access for handicapped has been going for many years now and with so many different operators(private, etc) it is difficult and slow.

But what about the large number that actually choose to end their lives under the wheels of a train...?

Hopefully will reduce the suicide carnage, or will they just go somewhere else?

Those are fine. I was specifically talking about these ones that are getting installed in addition to the others because of the olympics.

But you stated they were only doing it because of the olympics. If that’s the only reason then are you saying they were doing this since before the olympics were announced for literally no reason at all? Because that’s what you have effectively said.

NCIS RerunsToday 07:51 am JST

...not to mention the mentally impaired cell phone zombies who suffered similar fates.

No that is Darwinian selection in action.

Great!

But after being on the subway in the morning for the first time in years and being almost squashed to death, I wonder what it will be like during the Olympics.

and if as some of you say the improvements are only because of image, then maybe we can get a lot of other things changed before 2020

Instead they waited how many years

No they didn't, they've been installing them for years already.

are installing it now not because of genuine concern of their(and not only) citizens' wellbeing while boarding trains, but because they want to look civilized and socially responsible when "gaijins" come raining into their nation.

If that's their reason, then why were they installing gates since before they even knew the olympics was coming?

I know you people hate Japan, but try to keep your hatred within the facts please.

It is good that they are advancing the schedule. Now if they can add some more facilities for the handicapped that will take them from ground level to the platform fully by elevator, or at least clearly mark existing elevator routes, rather than have to phone ahead and be physically carried down the stairs that would be even better, both for the upcoming visitors and the increasing elderly folk with ambulatory problems here. Too bad it takes a Mega-event like the Olympics to get past the inertia (and the budget issue).

Strangerland,

good on them for adding those, despite the fact that it was just for the olympics

How do you explain the ones they installed before they knew the Olympics were coming?”

Ditto what Strangerland said. And if these are just being installed for the Olympics, then I would expect to see them promptly removed once the games are over. Somehow I doubt that’s going to happen.

https://joinfull.com/products/Tokyo-Sky-tree-tower

https://joinfull.com/products/Thai-Tube-Trek-Water-Park

Wallace Fred

”If only as much effort was put into the reconstruction of tohoku...”

https://joinfull.com/products/Australia-Zoo-Discount-Tickets

https://joinfull.com/products/Universal-Studios-Singapore-Tickets-Price

Apparently you actually know nothing whatsoever about what has been done and is being done in Tohoku.

good on them for adding those, despite the fact that it was just for the olympics

How do you explain the ones they installed before they knew the Olympics were coming?