Case study: making door beacons reliable
27 October 2026
Door beacon faults are being monitored and repaired.
A reporter raised a safety concern about unreliable selective door operation (SDO) beacons at several railway stations: Littlehampton, Streatham Common, Brighton, and Purley. These beacons ensure that only the correct train doors open where platforms are too short. When beacons fail, the wrong doors may stay closed or open unexpectedly. This leaves passengers confused and potentially at risk.
Passengers may rush to another door before the train departs, increasing the chance of slips, trips, or falls, particularly for vulnerable people. If the SDO system fails completely, drivers must use a manual emergency door release. That process relies on human judgement and could result in doors opening where there is no platform.
The reporter asked Network Rail to investigate. Faults in the beacons are being monitored and repaired, while trends are being analysed to improve reliability. Railway companies are also working together to develop safer, more reliable systems, and reduce the risk of human error when manual door releases are needed.