09.11.16
Southern train ‘ran with doors open’, but RAIB not to investigate
A Southern train at Reedham station briefly ran with its doors open on Monday morning in what could have been a potential safety breach.
The operator confirmed that the 05.54 service from Tattenham Corner to London Bridge moved one coach length at low speed as it left the station.
Southern has spent most of the year locked in an industrial dispute with RMT over plans to expand driver-only operated (DOO) services. RMT says the new operating system, where the driver, and not the train guard, has the ability to open the train’s doors, would threaten guard jobs and passenger safety.
The union, which has been accused of “cancelling Christmas” due to its industrial action programme, is planning to hold strikes on 22-23 November, 6-8 December, 22-24 December and 31 December-2 January as the latest in a series of actions protesting the issue.
A Southern spokesperson said: “There was nothing wrong with the train and early indications are this was driver error in releasing the brakes before the doors had shut.
“This was an unusually rare set of circumstances on a train that has run without a conductor for many years and could have happened even if there had been a guard on board.”
The RAIB said it was aware of the incident but was not carrying out an investigation because there had not been an accident.
Peter Kyle, the MP for Hove, said: “I want to know what went wrong. I can’t help but feel that had there been an on-board safety supervisor or a conductor this would not have happened.”
Govia Thameslink Railway, Southern’s parent company, is currently failing to meet performance benchmarks in its contract with the DfT because of delays and disruptions which have caused chaos on the route.
However, the DfT cannot decide whether this constitutes a breach of contract because it is assessing a claim the company has submitted for force majeure owing to the disruption caused by the strikes.
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an RTM columnist? If so, click here.