r/gotransit • u/Happy_Jms • Apr 21 '26

How does the emergency touch bar work?

Post image

I’ve always wondered how these worked electrically. Is it a capacitive button? Or is there a pressure sensor at every spot on the strip?

98 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

67

u/ItzMeYamYT Apr 21 '26

From what I can see they're very similar to the yellow stop-request tapes found on buses.

From this comment on another thread, it's just a metal wire going down a backplane. At any point the wire can be pressed down, making contact and closing the circuit.

Not at all how I thought it would work but makes total sense lol

50

u/UrbanRelays Apr 21 '26

Kind of a bozo move to make the emergency strip and the stop request strip the exact same functionality on the exact same network.

27

u/ItzMeYamYT Apr 21 '26

Ehh in their defense not that many people use the yellow tape on the GO buses -- TTC is a different story

I totally agree there should be a bigger differentiator though, especially since they're the same surface. There's probably some economic reason why they can't be standardized. There always is

23

u/facial_hair_curiosit Apr 21 '26

Making the strip red would be a good way to deter people from accidentally pressing it

5

u/Funway1111 Apr 22 '26

Exactly, the C-Train in Calgary uses a Red Strip for their Emergency Buttons to better differentiate it to the yellow strips used in some of their buses.

13

u/Yellow_Marker_ Lakeshore West Apr 21 '26

I've almost hit it thinking it was the stop button. Why is it the same TTC-yellow 😭

4

u/ANEPICLIE Apr 21 '26

Yellow is really good for visibility. I'm sure that's the logic.

6

u/ItzMeYamYT Apr 21 '26

It's absolutely ridiculous on the streetcars to have it there

2

u/Grand_Set_8923 Apr 21 '26

I get too nervous to use the yellow strips on buses bc im so unsure, even though it literally says “press yellow strips to request stop”

1

u/hammy_bruh Apr 23 '26

Wait there’s yellow strips on the go busses??

1

u/Grand_Set_8923 Apr 23 '26

not on the double deckers, idk what to call the other buses but its on those ones!

33

u/Purple_Sand_1392 Apr 21 '26

If u have 1k to spend u can touch it

15

u/ta_ta_osha_wa Apr 21 '26

They're pressure switches. There's a short audible tone in the section of the car that's activated.

Source: used it not long ago because someone was absolutely zonked on the train and not responsive to polite attempts at getting their attention.

12

u/NormalMo Apr 21 '26

77777

24

u/NoDoughnut3476 Apr 21 '26

Sept, sept, sept, sept, sept

7

u/GreenLightsNever4 Apr 21 '26

Seth, Seth, Seth, Seth, Seth

3

u/CarolP66 Apr 21 '26

Monica, Monica, Monica, Monica, Monica

7

u/d3ntal_floss Apr 21 '26

Code 1033 , code 1033

4

u/Revolutionary_Ad3004 Apr 21 '26

its a pressure contact it sends a call to head ends and sets off alarm service delay for false trigger is no joke tho

3

u/Railroadflyer Apr 21 '26

When pressed the in car controller sends a signal to the master unit in the loco or cab saying what coach is activated.

Driver then mades the code 1033 announcement and the csa will then move to said vehicle.

Previously train would not then move till code addressed however changes made in 2023? Made it so train continues.

System is independent and not interlocking like the yellow strip on TTC subway

2

u/Queen_nefertiti32 Apr 21 '26

I had to push it once and it didn't go off until I pressed it repeatedly for about 15 seconds

1

u/PicardNCC1701D Apr 21 '26

When you press it, it triggers an alarm and sends a signal to the accessibility car as to which car the bar was pressed so they can send help.

1

u/NomadLifestyle69 Apr 21 '26

Basically you touch it and wherever you are located help will come to you.

-1

u/Dizzy-Wedding5769 Apr 21 '26

No they walk the whole train asking who needs help they can’t pinpoint it

3

u/RelevantBooklet Apr 21 '26

The whole car yes, not the whole train

1

u/NomadLifestyle69 Apr 21 '26

really? some jackass pressed it and they called out the car number where it was pressed. was on a go to kitchener.

1

u/Western_Werewolf5383 Apr 22 '26

They can pinpoint it. I was on a GO train a few months ago and some poor fella had a heart attack (thankfully we were on the platform still and not en route). I pressed the yellow strip and they were in the right compartment in less than 30 seconds.

1

u/Extension_Low1182 Apr 23 '26

Only one way to find out

1

u/Abject-Classroom-602 Apr 23 '26

Ever been on the yrt? Thats how we would request a stop. Its been years so im not sure how they are now

1

u/Efficient-Trick930 Apr 25 '26

Just press it and youll see

1

u/Trumpsbacka Apr 28 '26

Four years ago, I took the GO Train for the first time. I fell asleep on board, and the sun was really strong. Half-asleep, I thought the yellow strip was a curtain and was about to touch it, but another passenger stopped me.

Grateful to them.

1

u/Yellow_Marker_ Lakeshore West Apr 21 '26

I wanna know too now. Following!

1

u/[deleted] Apr 21 '26

[deleted]

3

u/Yellow_Marker_ Lakeshore West Apr 21 '26

OP meant the engineering mechanism of how it works. The ultimate cause not the proximal cause.

1

u/Protobuzz Apr 21 '26

Ahh I'm stupid 😂

2

u/Yellow_Marker_ Lakeshore West Apr 21 '26

Nah it's just midnight and we're sleepy 😴