RAIB recommendations to reduce ‘trap and drag’ incidents

Trains similar to a Thames Valley Turbo could be fitted with sensitive door-edge technology, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) recommends following the conclusion of a review.

It follows an accident on July 25 2015, when a passenger was dragged along a platform at Hayes & Harlington. The 1137 Oxford to London Paddington had departed while the woman’s hand was trapped in a door. She had placed her hand between the doors as they were closing (RAIB said that this was in expectation that the door would re-open).

The driver did not identify that she was trapped in the door, and she was dragged 19 metres, lost her footing and fell onto the platform. She suffered head, hand and back injuries.

RAIB concluded that either the driver did not make a final check before departing, or that the check was insufficiently detailed. RAIB added that the driver may have been misled into thinking it was safe to depart because a door interlock light in his cab had illuminated, which indicated the doors were shut and locked.

RAIB’s other recommendation was to extend (if necessary) its research into the passenger/train interface, to understand passenger behaviour and identify means for deterring passengers from obstructing train doors.

Three learning points have also been identified by RAIB, the first of which regards improving driver awareness of the limitations of the door interlocking technology and the importance of the final safety check when dispatching a train.

The second concerns the potential for drivers to be distracted by the use of mobile communication devices while driving. The third is aimed at train operating companies to have the necessary processes in place to identify drivers showing signs of sub-standard performance or not engaging positively with measures agreed as part of a Competence Development Plan, and the provision of briefing and guidance material for driver managers to enable them to identify behaviours and attitudes that are inconsistent with those expected.

Simon French, Chief Inspector of Rail Accidents, said that RAIB has investigated eight accidents on the main line regarding ‘trap and drag’. Two involved dispatch by platform staff, two by guards and four by drivers. In five of the cases the trapped passenger was dragged. In three cases the train dispatch was managed via Driver Only Operation.

French stated: “Although our investigations cover too small a sample for us to draw conclusions about the relative safety of different methods of train dispatch, we have found no evidence to suggest that Driver Only Operated trains cannot be dispatched safely.”

However, he did state that safety is dependent upon: the provision of suitable equipment (for example, cameras and CCTV monitors); rigorous compliance with safety rules by trained operating staff; and effective management of risk at stations, particularly where visibility is poor or platforms are crowded.”