08.12.16
LU platform accidents rise in 2016 after two-year decline
London Underground (LU) passenger accidents at the interface between platform and train have gone up in this past year, Transport for London (TfL) board papers show.
The TfL 2015-16 Health, Safety and Environment report, published ahead of a board meeting on 15 December, revealed that 60% of incidents were caused by people being caught in train doors, while 30% resulted from falls between the train and the platform.
Unions have previously warned that control room closures on the Underground network would put passenger safety at risk. A leaked report into an incident in May, when a passenger’s foot was trapped between the train and platform at Canning Town, said staff struggled to respond in time because the station had recently switched to an unstaffed control room.
The annual TfL report suggested that the increase in platform interface incidents could be partly due to new rolling stock, which removes the need to step up onto the train but has increased the gap between train and platform at some stations.
As a result of the figures, the organisation has launched a long-term programme looking at measures to reduce incidents, including methods of highlighting risks and realigning platforms. It is also carrying out campaigns to encourage passengers not to rush to catch their service.
Overall, there were 104 injuries reported on TfL’s Underground and rail services in 2015-16. This represented an increase from 91 the previous year after a two-year decline.
There were three passenger fatalities on Underground: a passenger at Stockwell station died after they bent down to pick something up at the platform edge and were struck by a train; a passenger at Waterloo fell between the platform and train; and a passenger fell down some steps at London Bridge and later died from their injuries.
There were no customer fatalities on Docklands Light Railway, the Emirates Air Line, London Overground, London Trams or TfL Rail.
TfL is also trialling methods of reducing passenger injury on London Underground stairs escalators, including footprints showing people where to place their feet, step riser messages in between steps, highlighted entry/exit points, electronic message signs, messages embedded in handrails, floor vinyls and holograms.
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