Special safety gates will be installed in the Chunshen Road Station of the Metro Line No. 5 to keep passengers from falling or jumping onto the tracks.

If the gates prove effective, they will be installed in other stations along the line in the future.

The gates, which are still being tested, are expected to be put into use by the end of this year, according to the line's operator.

The No. 5 line is an elevated rail that runs from Xinzhuang Station, the southwest terminal of the city's Metro Line No. 1, to the Minhang Development Zone Station.

The platforms of all the stations along the line are open-air.

"It's not suitable to install transparent screens similar to those used in underground subway stations," noted an official with Shanghai Modern Rail Co Ltd, operator of the line.

Several underground stations in the city have transparent screens that reach from the floor to the ceiling of the station and only open when a train arrives to allow passengers to get on and off. The screens along the No. 5 line won't be the same tall, but perform essentially the same task.

"Such gates are more fit for the open-air platforms," the official said.

Shanghai Metro Operation Co Ltd, the operator of the city's three busiest metro lines, began installing transparent screens in 12 underground subway stations along Metro Line No. 1 last month.

The screens can separate the platform from the tunnel, creating a closed environment.

Besides keeping people off the tracks, the screens also prevent dust from being blown up onto the platform by arriving trains and prevent cool or hot air from leaving the station, reducing electricity use.

The outdoor gates cost about 4 million yuan (US$481,900) each to install, while those used in underground stations cost 6 million yuan.

(eastday.com April 18, 2005)