This amazing tech for mass rail systems saves lives – here’s how

While the uninitiated will likely be somewhat clueless as to what AZTI Technology Sdn Bhd’s Platform Intrusion Emergency Stop (PIES) system would do, it’s safe to say that it’s not anything remotely related to pastries. In fact, the PIES system saves lives. Here’s how…

As you’d likely surmise from the acronym, the Platform Intrusion Emergency Stop system is a barrier free intrusion/prevention system that consists of a series of sensors in front of mass rail transit platforms that detects human intrusion.

If an accident occurs, say as if someone landed  or fell onto a track deliberately or by accident, the PIES system will send a notification signal to the platform control panel, train signalling and SCADA systems to close the track to prevent a tragedy and for rescue teams to save the victim.

This system was put to the test earlier this year in April 2018 when a pregnant woman  fainted and fell onto the Damai LRT station track which had the PIES system installed. The victim was rescued in less than seven minutes after the intrusion was detected by the PIES system and the line was cleared for operations in less than 30 minutes later.

In Malaysia, to date, the PIES system is currently in service on the Kelana Jaya LRT line which has 32 stations across its span serving a good chunk of the Klang Valley. It has also been recently installed on the Ampang-line LRT rail systems which consist of 36 stations and the LRT3 project which has 20 stations will also incorporate the PIES system. For more on the PIES system, check out their video here.