The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has launched an investigation after a passenger sustained a serious injury when alighting from a train at the Great Central Railway.
At around 11:49 on the 14th January 2023, a passenger lost their footing and sustained a serious injury when alighting from a train at Loughborough Central on the Great Central Railway.
The incident happened just after the train had stopped and the passenger was getting off the train from the leading door.
The train had stopped in a position where the door was on the ramped part of the platform and is not intended for passenger use.
The RAIB says that their investigation will consider:
- the actions of those involved and anything which may have influenced them
- the methods of working used when trains call at Loughborough Central station, including the status of the platform train interface
- the arrangements in place to manage and control the risks associated with passengers boarding and alighting from trains on the Great Central Railway
- any underlying management factors.
The investigation report will be published in due course.
Responses
Where is personal responsibility. Too big a drop, go to another door. Like crossing the road, too small a gap to cross before the next vehicle, wait for it to go past, don’t just step into the road anyway.
Om the face of it no carriages on any railway should stop at a point where any carriage door is not adjacent to the standard level height of a platform.
Hopefully this would stop a repetition of this unfortunate incident.
Passengers should also take a proper look at the situation before alighting as they as well as the railway authorities are responsible for their safety.
Loughborough can be difficult to step down to the platform it is a steep drop
There are step boxes available on some couches but not all
Would suggest that there is one available for all carriages and staff members ready to put in place on arrival into the station
It’s not exactly hidden though. Basic common sense of looking where you are stepping (changing door if you deem it beyond your capability) and holding the handrail would have solved this.
Unfortunate as this is, and I hope the passenger concerned is making a good recovery, I have some agreement with Steve on this. The common sense idea of “look before you leap” springs to mind. I am sure we would all make a quick mental assessment of the situation when getting off a bus or stepping off a kerb to cross the road
Not to demean the situation but, how come it’s taken a whole month to get around to investigating this?
The RAIB are experts in finding out the whys and wherefors in this incident.
Some people have reduced vision or appreciation of risk and need to be kept safe by the operator.
I’ve travelled on trains which are too long for platforms they were stopping at and have been advised to pass along the train to alight from another coach.
Modern trains with power doors generally have selective door control for such situations.
We dont want to see the situation where heritage stock have to be fitted with electric door locks.
Perhaps the GCR will have to revise their Safety Case, perhaps insurance driven?
Lets wait for the RAIB recoomendations