Guardrails installed at Kalighat Metro Station platform to prevent suicide

Kolkata: After 40 years of service, the Kolkata Metro Railway has finally taken an initiative to curb suicide attempts by installing guardrails on the edges of platforms along the Dakshineswar-Kavi Subhash corridor (Blue Line), India’s oldest Metro corridor. As part of the experimental phase, these guardrails are being installed at

Kalighat Metro station.

The newly-installed steel guardrails stand 4-feet-tall and are strategically placed at the platform edges, with gaps for the eight-car Metro rake doors. So far, 7 out of the planned 31 guardrails have been installed on the down (trains travelling from Dakshineswar towards Kavi Subhash) platform at Kalighat, with completion expected by Kali Puja. Metro authorities announced that additional guardrails will be installed on the platform edges of other Blue Line stations after monitoring the situation and gathering passengers’ feedback.

Metro officials stated that these guardrails designed to ensure safe boarding and alighting from trains while addressing the alarming number of suicide attempts by individuals jumping in front of oncoming trains. In October alone, there have been three such incidents, resulting in two fatalities. The first occurred on October 14 at Sovabazar Metro Station, where a man survived his attempt. On October 17, a man in his mid-forties committed suicide by jumping in front of a Metro train at Kalighat Station. The most recent incident on October 23 shocked onlookers when a 34-year-old woman committed suicide at Chandni Chowk Station, leaving her 7-year-

old child on the platform.

The East-West Metro (Green Line) features full-height platform screen doors (PSDs) for underground stations and half-height platform screen gates (PSGs) for elevated ones. The glass barriers between the Metro track and the platforms open in sync with the train doors and prevent people falling on the tracks. While a proposal for PSDs on the Blue Line was considered, it was ultimately rejected due to technical challenges. The current solution of guardrails, however, raises concerns about their height and effectiveness, as 4-feet barriers may be easily scaled. Additionally, some fear that these installations may complicate boarding and alighting

during peak hours.

As part of the initiative, Metro authorities have also urged the public to not to attempt suicide at Metro premises or any other locations, emphasising the value of life.