Rubber gap filler technology trialled on Sydney Trains network

A new rubber gap technology is being trialed at Sydney’s busy Circular Quay Station to help improve safety and accessibility across the train network.

The design and manufacture of the rubber gap fillers was done in Australia and the idea was inspired by other networks in Australia and overseas.

Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the technology is an innovative way of preventing people falling between the platform and the train.

“Circular Quay is one of the busiest stations and has one of the highest number of falls between the platform and train on the Sydney Trains network, with children and elderly customers most likely to fall and be injured,” Constance said.

“Parts of the rail network are more than 165 years old and there is no one-stop-shop solution to preventing customer falls. Every platform has unique properties such as gradients, curves and varying heights, and requires a tailored, engineered approach.”

He said the trial results will help Sydney Trains to assess the suitability of the solution on other platforms, similar to Circular Quay.

Acting Chief Executive of Sydney Trains Suzanne Holden said on average, five people fall through the gap across the Sydney Trains network each week.

“We want everyone who uses our network to be safe at all times which is why we are committed to upgrading stations for improved safety and accessibility,” Holden said.

“While there’s a long way to go, we are confident this technology may be a solution to improving safety and accessibility on some of our problem platforms.”

The trial will run until the end of March.