Länsimetro’s task is to ensure that the metro infrastructure it owns is a safe and efficient commuting environment throughout its life cycle.
Commuters can feel safe in the West Metro’s metro stations. The metro station platforms are open, cohesive and bright. There are no long underground passages and fringe areas in the metro stations. The metro runs underground for the entire length of the West Metro: commuters can feel safe also when the metro runs in the tunnel. The underground network of metro tunnels consists of two separate tunnels with fire compartments. Separate tunnels ensure that if a fire breaks out, it can be contained in just one tunnel and commuters can safely access the adjacent tunnel via a fire-compartmented connecting tunnel. These connecting tunnels are located roughly every 150 metres in between the two parallel metro tunnels.
If there is an emergency in the tunnel, the basic principle is that the train will be driven to the nearest station. If that is not possible, passengers will be guided to safety by the instructions announced over the PA system. The most important place for announcements is in the metro train, where the instructions can best reach the passengers.
In the rail tunnels of the West Metro there are 1.2-metre-wide emergency exit platforms which provide safe passage in emergency situations, such as a fire or a power outage, from the metro train to the metro station or to the other tunnel via the connecting tunnel. Only a handful of metros around the world are equipped with such emergency platforms.
Länsimetro’s safety solutions are advanced even by global standards., the majority of technical systems relate to managing emergency situations. These systems ensure the safe and easy exit of metro users in emergency situations, such as a fire or a power outage. Below are a few examples of Länsimetro’s safety solutions:
- The safety of the spaces is monitored and controlled using automatic fire alarm and extinguishing systems.
- The spreading of smoke is limited in the metro stations and the tunnels by means of fire compartmentation and over-pressurisation and smoke management systems.
- Camera surveillance ensures the safety of the premises. The metro’s control centre monitors the operation of the trains in real time, and in the event of an emergency, the surveillance cameras help ensure that the situation is handled efficiently and safely.
- During evacuations, the metro station’s lifts are also accessible to commuters.
- The functioning of personal safety and interlocking systems has been assured by duplicating the systems, meaning if one system breaks down, there is a back-up system.