Wide Doors Over 2 Meters: Bringing the “Daily Life of the Airport” to the City Streets
- 6 時間前
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In Japan, the standard door width for
commuter trains is 1.3 meters. For
domestic AGT (Automated Guideway
Transit) vehicles, 1.3 meters for single
-door cars and 1.1 meters for double-
door cars are the norm. However,
looking at AGT systems abroad—such
as Singapore’s Sengkang-Punggol
and Bukit Panjang Lines, or
Bangkok’s Gold Line—one
immediately notices a striking
difference: doors that span over 2
meters wide.
From an engineering perspective,
creating such a wide opening is a
significant challenge. Think of it like
building a house; the larger you make
the windows or doors, the more
difficult it becomes to maintain the
strength of the overall structure.
Every centimeter added to a door’s
width is a "hole" that compromises
the body’s rigidity. In fact, 2 meters
is considered the structural limit for
vehicle design. Overseas AGT systems
are engineered right at this boundary,
trading structural complexity for one
thing: unprecedented "flow".
Why is such an enormous door
necessary? The reason lies in the fact
that overseas AGT vehicles often
share their design with Airport People
Movers (APM). The mission of an
APM is to smoothly handle large
crowds carrying oversized suitcases
immediately after they deplane.
In an airport, this high-volume flow is
a part of "daily life." By bringing this
airport-centric design to the city, AGT
systems can minimize station dwell
times while easily accommodating
travelers, strollers, wheelchairs, and
hurried commuters alike.
Essentially, overseas AGT systems are
"airport-born sturdy bones" that have
been fitted with seats and brought
into the heart of the city. By
transplanting the convenience of the
airport into the urban environment,
these vehicles use smart, shared
design to create a more open and
efficient transit experience.
We hope you enjoyed this insight into
the design philosophy behind those
wide doors.
Stay tuned for the next AGT Blog!