Report 09/2012: Incident at King’s Cross station
Person trapped in doors and pulled along platform at King’s Cross station, 10 October 2011.
A passenger became trapped in a train door and was pulled along a platform, for a distance of approximately 20 metres, at London King’s Cross station on 10 October 2011. She suffered bruising to the fingers of her left hand.
The passenger’s hand became trapped when she attempted to board the train while the doors were closing. The train started to move before the passenger’s fingers were released because a member of staff on the platform did not fully check the train doors before signalling that the train could depart. The requirement to check doors is given in the railway Rule Book.
It is possible that the passenger could have withdrawn her fingers from the doors, before being pulled along the platform, if alternative door edge seals had been fitted on the Class 365 train involved in the incident.
When the passenger alarm was operated during the incident, the train did not stop immediately because the driver decided to continue to the next station. This decision had no effect on the incident but was contrary to the railway Rule Book and, in lightly different circumstances, could have increased the severity of the accident.
RAIB has identified two learning points from this accident:
- the importance of fully checking train doors before trains depart; and
- the need for drivers to stop trains immediately if the passenger alarm is operated when any part of the train is within a station.
RAIB has also recommended that, the design of door edge seals on Class 365 trains is reviewed, and if appropriate modified, when the seals are renewed as part of a mid-life refurbishment due in 2013.
Response to recommendations:
- RAIB will periodically update the status of recommendations as reported to us by the relevant safety authority or public body
- RAIB may add comment, particularly if we have concerns regarding these responses.