Class 195 - dangerous doors?

[randyrippley]

I boarded 195121 tonight at Preston, it was working the Barrow train leaving Preston ~19.35

Queue of 15-20 people trying to get off at door A1/A2. The hustle alarm went off as the fourth person exited, with the door shutting almost immediately trapping someone. Pressing the external door button managed to reopen the door, only for it to happen a second time after another three or four had exited. So I had to reopen the door again, this time holding it open until everyone was off safely. The risk of entrapment, or tripping and falling was high. Not helped by platform 3 being a low platform with a gap of well over a foot.
If that's typical of how these trains work, they're a serious accident waiting to happen.
Who triggers the door closure - the guard or is it automatic? I was standing waiting by the door to board during the whole fiasco, so there's no way anyone can claim it "looked clear".
What was also evident was that reopening the doors wasn't intuitive - not one of those trying to exit understood what was happening or tried to reopen the doors

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Who triggers the door closure - the guard or is it automatic? I was standing waiting by the door to board during the whole fiasco, so there's no way anyone can claim it "looked clear".

They close automatically after (usually) 30 seconds, and the guard can also close them (Which locks them too)

 

[danbarjon]

I’ve once had a 195 door attack me whilst boarding and I noticed the button didn’t do much while they were closing it had to trap me then essentially squish me until they opened again.

 

[Purple Train]

I’ve once had a 195 door attack me whilst boarding and I noticed the button didn’t do much while they were closing it had to trap me then essentially squish me until they opened again.

Strange, I've been able to open a 195 door while it was closing (at Chester).

 

[skyhigh]

This is what happens if the door open button isn't held for long enough by the guard. The door will close only stopping for the obstacle detector and then attempt to reclose 2 further times before faulting and remaining open.

Strange, I've been able to open a 195 door while it was closing (at Chester).

That is the normal behaviour.

 

[randyrippley]

They close automatically after (usually) 30 seconds, and the guard can also close them (Which locks them too)

this seemed to be a heck of a lot less than 30 seconds!

 

[L401CJF]

This is what happens if the door open button isn't held for long enough by the guard. The door will close only stopping for the obstacle detector and then attempt to reclose 2 further times before faulting and remaining open.


That is the normal behaviour.

Correct, the 197s do it too if the guard doesnt hold the release buttons long enough when overriding ASDO.

 

[randyrippley]

Correct, the 197s do it too if the guard doesnt hold the release buttons long enough when overriding ASDO.

In my opinion if that's the cause, someone is going to get killed, especially where there's a gap big enough to fall into

 

[L401CJF]

In my opinion if that's the cause, someone is going to get killed, especially where there's a gap big enough to fall into

I was told it is a deliberate feature. Don't quote me on it, but apparently it is for if the ASDO is accidentally overridden (say accidentally overriden backwards rather than just forwards when the coaches behind are off the platform) or the doors immediately close and can very quickly be locked again to prevent people falling. Basically it gives you the "oh s### option of quickly let go of the release buttons and hit close before giving people the chance to fall.

You have to hold the release buttons for 3 seconds or so when overriding to avoid this. I agree it is a bit daft and potentially dangerous.

 

[Lampshade]

That’s the worst feature of any product ever.

 

[PupCuff]

I remember when the 195s first came in, and the conductors were having to override for most (all?) releases, the door release, press open button, start to exit train, have to jump out of the way of suddenly re-closing doors routine was a regular feature of my commute. Sometimes you'd make it through, other times you'd be stuck inside looking out and freedom and it would be a case of wait for the re-release as other passengers panic and start trying to go down the train to find a door that would open. Most of the times the conductor realised the doors had closed themselves.