15.04.19
RAIB launches investigation after ‘vulnerable’ man fell on Metrolink tracks as tram departed
An investigation has been launched after a “vulnerable” passenger fell onto the track on the Manchester Metrolink after the tram he was leaning on pulled away, the RAIB has said.
The man, described by the RAIB as “in a vulnerable condition” had alighted from a tram at Aston-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester on 12 March 2019.
The passenger leant on the side of the tram, and the tram subsequently pulled away from the platform and departed, causing the man to fall from the tram stop platform and land on the track.
He remained on the track until he was spotted by the driver of the next tram to arrive at the stop, who stopped his tram and called the emergency services. The passenger was then taken to hospital.
The RAIB said it was launching an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.
It will investigate the actions of the driver of the departing tram, as well as examining the training and guidance given to tram drivers in considering when it’s safe to move a tram and relating to vulnerable members of the public on tram services.
The RAIB will look at the way the incident was managed by the parties involved and any underlying management factors, and will then publish its recommendations.