Quote:
Originally Posted by Quixote
2) All the stations that I passed through had side platforms. While I think this feature, just like elevated alignments and automated trains, would be a nice departure from what we are used to, center platforms are more efficient if a rider accidentally travels in the wrong direction or needs to go back to their station of origin for some reason.
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All things equal, in a typical North American subway, center platforms are cheaper - fewer elevators/escalators to maintain, and you can route all the passengers past a single operator booth for security/surveillance.
Of course, if you do a shallow cut/cover subway and skip the mezzanine level, then side platforms are much cheaper. This is how most of the Paris Metro is built - instead of mezzanines, they have crossunder passages below the tracks IIRC - but modern subways will be bored and deeper (although North American subways go
too deep).
Also, center platforms really work best if you have separate tunnels for each direction (as the Purple Line Extension is doing). If you want to take advantage of a single bore, then you're gonna end up with side platforms.