Horrific Incident: Person Run Over by Four Trains at London Station
A tragic accident at a London Underground station left a person fatally injured after being struck by multiple trains
London, Stratford, Train Accident, Transport for London, RAIB
London: A tragic event unfolded at a London Underground station when a person lay on the tracks for about 30 minutes before being discovered. This horrific incident happened on December 26, 2023, after a passenger fell from the platform.
Emergency services quickly arrived at Stratford station, but sadly, the passenger was fatally injured after being hit by four trains. The Jubilee Line was shut down between Stratford and West Ham for a while as a result.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has been looking into what happened. Lilli Matson, the Chief Safety Officer for Transport for London, mentioned that they’re already working on the recommendations from the investigation.
According to the RAIB report, the passenger “stumbled forwards” and fell onto the track. They lay there unnoticed for about five minutes before the first train arrived. Unfortunately, the train operator didn’t see them, likely due to the automatic train operation system in use.
As more trains came in, the situation worsened. The second and third train operators also missed seeing the passenger, and by the time the fourth train approached, a customer service assistant was aware of the situation but didn’t stop the train in time.
The investigation revealed that the passenger was on the track from around 14:45 until 15:16 when staff finally became aware of the situation. Sadly, the fourth train entered the platform just before they could stop it.
The RAIB pointed out that the repetitive nature of the job under automatic operation might have affected the train operators’ attention. They also noted that some operators were preparing to leave their trains before they had fully stopped, which could lead to distractions.
While London Underground had recognized the risk of passengers falling onto the tracks, the safety measures in place weren’t enough to prevent this tragedy. The RAIB has suggested that technology could be used to detect if someone is in a dangerous position on the tracks.
Lilli Matson expressed her condolences to the family of the victim and emphasized the importance of learning from such incidents to improve safety. They are committed to making the network safer for everyone.
For anyone affected by serious incidents on the TfL network, there’s support available through the Sarah Hope Line, which offers practical and emotional help.