crs1026
Superstar
As for platform safety/crowding....its simple, just keep people in the concourse until you are ready to board the train....treat it like a holding/coralling area and only allow people into the starewells and up to the platform once the train is in place and ready to accept passengers.....Via does this all the time.
I'm not sure that this is any safer or wiser in a peak crowd situation....those stairs aren't all that wide, and with so many sets there will be some sort of breakdown. But maybe I'm biased.....I have been on so many platforms in Europe that have no access control, that even at quiet times the "Wait in Concourse" business on both VIA and GO frustrates the heck out of me.
The safest option is - load 'em up and GO, next train is right behind this one.
- Paul