A passenger tragically lost their life after falling onto the tracks of a London Underground line at Stratford station, according to a report released today. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch detailed how the incident unfolded on Boxing Day 2023.
The passenger disembarked from a Jubilee Line train at 1.57pm and sat on a platform bench opposite where they had exited the train. At approximately 2.45pm, the individual stood up but stumbled forward, falling onto the adjacent track, the report stated.
“Unable to get to a position of safety, the passenger lay on the track undiscovered for around 5 minutes before being struck by an arriving train, which then stopped normally in the platform,” the report said. The report revealed that “the presence of the passenger remained unknown and a further three inbound trains entered the terminal platform and went through the location where the passenger was lying.”
The drivers of the first two trains saw nothing unusual, while the third operator noticed something but did not identify it as a person. Alarmingly, the fourth train also ran over the passenger, despite a customer service assistant being aware they were on the tracks, reports the Mirror.
The passenger suffered fatal injuries. The report noted that the fall occurred when no other passengers or staff were present on the platform, and no intervention was made to prevent the first train from arriving.
The RAIB investigators discovered that the operator of the first train failed to spot the passenger on the track as the train pulled into the platform. “This was possibly because their level of attention was reduced due to the use of automatic train operation,” the report suggested.
CCTV image of the passenger on the bench (courtesy of LUL)
(Image: Courtesy of LUL)
“The operator may also have been distracted by the presence of another operator who was standing on the platform as the first train arrived at the station.”
The report further stated: “The consequences of the accident were made more severe because the operator of the second inbound train to arrive at the platform also did not see the passenger, while the operator of the third inbound train saw something when they were arriving at the platform, but did not recognise what they saw as being a person. The fourth inbound train was not stopped by a customer service assistant who was present on the platform when it was entering the station, even though the assistant was by now aware that a person was on the track.
“Although the operator of the fourth inbound train had independently recognised that there was a person on the track, they did not stop their train. The train operators working the trains in the outbound direction were not aware of the passenger because the passenger was underneath their respective trains before they departed.”
The underlying causes behind the failure to see the passenger were also discussed. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has concluded that the repetitive nature of tasks under automatic train operation could lead to a state of underload, diminishing the attention capacity of train operators. The International Electrotechnical Commission defines automatic train operation as a method where the train’s movement is automatically controlled without driver intervention, who, if present, only exercises a supervisory role.
The report further highlighted the risk of reduced alertness or distraction due to diminished attention. It was also found that some train operators at terminus stations prepare to leave their train before it has stopped, potentially neglecting tasks related to train operation.
Despite London Underground Limited quantifying the risk of a passenger falling from the platform and being struck by a train at Stratford station, the adopted risk controls were not sufficiently effective in this instance to prevent the accident. The RAIB has made two recommendations, both addressed to London Underground Limited.
The report reveals: “The first relates to considering the use of technology that can detect if a passenger is in a dangerous position and intervene or warn as necessary to stop an approaching or departing train. The second concerns reviewing the environmental, organisational and job factors related to operating trains in automatic train operation mode to understand how underload may affect train operators.”
It also said: “Additionally, a learning point has been identified reminding staff of the importance of using safety-critical communications when reporting and responding to incidents.”