Sadiq Khan issued main warning as folks might die on London Tube | UK | News | EUROtoday

Sir Sadiq Khan has been warned that extra folks might die on the London Underground community after a person was crushed to dying by 4 trains. Brian Mitchell died by chance at Stratford station in December 2023, an inquest dominated. Now, a coroner has warned that future deaths might happen if motion is just not taken.

Mr Mitchell, 72, obtained off a Jubilee line prepare and sat down on a bench, earlier than being seen on CCTV to face up and “lurch towards the edge of the platform and fall onto the tracks”. A prevention of future deaths report addressed to TfL, the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, added that the pensioner “moved and tried to climb back onto the deserted platform”, however an incoming Tube prepare entered the platform and struck him. The influence went “unnoticed”, and the prepare reversed out of the station over Mr Mitchell.

Two additional trains then entered and left the platform, every shifting over him twice. Graeme Irvine, senior coroner for east London, added {that a} member of workers “unsuccessfully tried to prevent” a fourth prepare shifting over Mr Mitchell because it entered the platform.

He added that the inquest heard the preliminary collision with Mr Mitchell might have probably been avoidable.

The newest report into the incident reiterated additionally that probably contributary elements to the shopper’s dying had been that he was “heavily intoxicated by alcohol”, and Jubilee line trains use Automatic Train Operation (ATO). This implies that prepare operators (TOs) don’t drive the prepare, the doc stated, and acceleration and braking are automated.

The report added: “The expectation of TOs is that they pay close attention to the train and the tracks before them and override the ATO system and apply brakes if they observe an object on the tracks. In this case, at least three separate TOs failed to notice a man before them on the tracks or to override the automatic system. The court heard that the initial collision with Brian was likely to have been avoidable.

“The monitor format would have allowed Brian’s presence to have been seen by an attentive TO. Additionally, it was asserted {that a} TO would have had ample time to react and convey the prepare to a cease many metres earlier than Brian’s location. The courtroom heard that these omissions could have resulted from the truth that Platform 13 is a terminus platform which might lead to a lowered degree of consideration on the a part of TOs.”

The area coroner wrote: “In my opinion there’s a danger that future deaths might happen except motion is taken.”

He then listed the following concerns:

“In the 2 years which have elapsed since Brian’s dying investigations have been three carried out by the British Transport Police, The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (‘RAIB’) and TFL into the circumstances that led to this incident. There is not any clear proof to show that dangers of deadly hurt have been mitigated.”

Mr Irvine added: “Recommended technological measures to detect and alert workers to the presence of individuals on the tracks haven’t been carried out at Stratford station.”

“No clear information is accessible to show that coaching offered to coach operators (drivers) to make sure that they focus and take a look at the tracks earlier than them while working trains utilizing ATO has resulted in optimistic enchancment in efficiency,” he also noted.

In addition, there is no clear data available to “show that station workers coaching has improved expedition or readability of communication in emergency circumstances”.

Claire Mann, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer, stated: “Our ideas are with the household and pals of Mr Mitchell, who sadly died at Stratford Tube station.