Set 47 of the EMU 7300 series arrives at Ariake-tennis-no-mori station I recently received a good question from my friend, who is a non-railfan. He said "I know the Yurikamome trains are operated without drivers and conductors. Question is who closes passenger doors on the trains at each station?"
To start, let me quickly review the Yurikamome (Black-headed Gull) line. It's a rubber-tyred AGT line connecting Shimbashi and Toyosu stations. AGT is an abbreviation for Automated Guide way Transit. It's a small sized train with rubber-tires instead of steel bogies. There are 16 stations over the total operating length of 14.7 kilometers. The power supply is 600V and 50Hz three-phase alternate current. It uses the ATO (Automatic Train Operation) system, so there's no driver or conductor on the train. It means passengers, specifically railfans, can freely sit on the front seats to enjoy scenic views through the window.
Thanks for waiting. Let's head to the main topic. The answer to the question is "The door operation of the Yurikamome trains is also automated". There are human sensors (motion sensors) on the automatic platform gates at each station. The passenger doors on the trains are synchronized with the automatic platform gates, so, they are automatically closed after passengers' getting on and off finish. In other words, automatic platform gates are essential for the automatic door operation on the Yurikamome trains. Needless to say, station platforms are under remote monitoring by railway employees from the control room through surveillance cameras. That's a fail-safe system.
He said "Thanks, I feel relieved now." It was an eureka moment.
