Spanish solution

Spanish solution: the principle

Station Marienplatz, Munich S-Bahn

Spanish solution used on Line 6 at Charles de Gaulle - Étoile. Paris Metro

Looking from one train through another (which has its doors open on both sides) to see a third train. At Barking station in London, England the eastbound underground trains open their doors on both sides for cross-platform interchange with two mainline railway services: the C2C service and the London Overground Barking - Gospel Oak service, this photograph having been taken inside one its trains.

Spanish solution (also called Barcelona solution) is a method of using two platforms, on both sides of the track, by one train to speed up embarkation and disembarkation: passengers get off the train on one side, and get on from the other. Usually there are three platforms (one island platform and two side platforms) shared between two tracks.

Passengers may be required to embark from one side and disembark from the other, or both may be permitted on both sides of the train. Sometimes the doors that let in passengers open a few seconds after those that let out open. For example, at Gongyuanqian Station of Guangzhou and People's Square Station of Shanghai (Line 8 southbound only).

The principle was used in Europe for the first time in Spain on the Barcelona metro (hence the name) in the 1930s. However, this solution was used earlier (1912) at Park Street Under station on the MBTA's Red Line in Boston (now known simply as Park Street), and at the Chambers Street station on the New York City Subway in 1913. Other closed examples in the New York City Subway include Woodlawn, Wakefield, Pelham Bay Park, and 242nd Street-Van Cortlandt Park. Jamaica Station also uses the Spanish solution. Sé central station at Metro de São Paulo is a recent example: Line 1 Blue (Linha 1 - Azul, Norte-Sul) or North-South has used this model in some stations, like Sé station, a high movimented station due to Line 3 integration, also the Line 3 - Red / Linha 3 - Vermelha or East-West (Linha Leste-Oeste) used this in some stations, like Sé itself, Republic Station (Estação República), Itaquera Station, Barra Funda Station, etc.

In Hong Kong, the former KCRC (now acquired by MTR Corporation) reconstructed the platforms of the checkpoint terminus, Lo Wu Station by applying similar layout. When the train stops, first only the doors towards the island platform (alighting zone) open and all passengers on the train get off. Then the doors close and the opposite doors against the side platform (boarding zone) open for loading new passengers. This arrangement is also used extensively with roller coasters, where it both speeds up loading and unloading, and allows better separation of exiting passengers with those in the entry queue.

Other examples

• Jurong East, Ang Mo Kio and Tanah Merah MRT stations in Singapore
• Olympic Park railway station, Sydney
• AeroTrain, Kuala Lumpur International Airport
• Constitución and Retiro stations on Line C in Buenos Aires
• Two Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) stations:
  • Sheppard line platforms at Sheppard-Yonge Station (roughed in), Toronto (see [1])
  • Kennedy terminus of the SRT in Toronto (Cross over to single track with two platforms)
• Canary Wharf DLR station, London - 'double' Spanish solution with six platforms serving three tracks.
• Barking station, London - eastbound District line only
• Stratford station, London - westbound Central Line only (as of November 2009 the 'otherside' platform is still under construction).
• Stations of the S-Bahn in Munich (Germany): Marienplatz, Karlsplatz, München Hauptbahnhof
• Stations of the Stuttgart S-Bahn: Station Pragsattel, Station Mineralbäder
• Five Points, and Lindbergh Center (on northbound side) stations of the Atlanta MARTA.
• The Epcot, Transportation and Ticket Center, and Magic Kingdom stations of the Walt Disney World Monorail System
• Premetro tram stations on the North-South Brussels Metro and Rogier station on Line 2 in Brussels
• Chan Sow Lin LRT station of the Ampang Line in Kuala Lumpur.
• The Gongyuanqian station of Guangzhou Metro, where doors open on one side for exit only, then on the other side for entry only.
• In Shanghai, the southbound Line 8 platform of People's Square Metro station works somewhat like this; doors open on both sides, but passengers enter only from the left, encouraging exit from the right only.
• Luohu Station and Futiankouan Station of Shenzhen Metro
• Lo Wu Station of MTR Hong Kong
• People mover at Orlando International Airport
• People mover main terminal (landside) station at Denver International Airport
• Seibu Railway's terminus at Ikebukuro Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line
• Tōkyū Tōyoko Line's terminus at Shibuya Station
• Jean Jaurès station of B line in Toulouse Metro (France)

References

The initial version was based on Wikipedia article Spanische Lösung (German)

Avenida de América station in Madrid Metro, is a clear example.

Spanish solution used in Brussels premetro station Rogier