A London Underground passenger was fatally injured after being run over by four trains before he was finally discovered.
The incident occurred on December 26 2023, when a passenger got off a Jubilee line train at Stratford just before 2pm. The passenger, 72-year-old Brian Mitchell, then sat on a bench facing the train and got up 45 minutes later. However, the commuter stumbled forward and fell onto the track from the platform, with no other staff or passengers present.
Mr Mitchell was said to have laid on the track for about 5 minutes and was undiscovered before being hit by a train scheduled to arrive at the platform. He remained undiscovered while a further three trains arrived, leaving him fatally injured, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report reads.
RAIB found the operator of the first train did not see the passenger on the track before arriving at the station. It was reported that this may have been due to their attention being reduced as the train was being automatically operated, or they were distracted by another staff member on the platform while arriving.
The investigation found that the second train operator did not notice Mr Mitchell, while the third driver saw something but did not recognise it as a person. The report added that the fourth train to arrive at the platform was not stopped by a customer service assistant that was present, despite both the operator and assistant being aware at this point that someone was on the track.
The first three trains involved in the incident also left the platform for separate outbound journeys while the passenger was still lying on the track, even though one operator checked Mr Mitchell’s bag after spotting it on the platform. The passenger was lying on the tracks for about half an hour before he was noticed.
An investigation carried out by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has made several recommendations to Transport for London (TfL) following the fatal accident.
RAIB found that the attention of train operators may be diminished by the repetitive nature of automatic train operation. It added that operators at terminal stations sometimes focus more on getting ready to leave the train instead of concentrating on tasks relating to the train’s operation before it has fully stopped.
Following its findings, the agency suggested that the factors relating to automatic train operation be reviewed to understand how they may affect operators. It was also recommended that London Underground Limited, a subsidiary of TfL, introduce technology to detect if passengers are in a dangerous position, allowing them to be warned about moving trains.
Lilli Matson, TfL’s Chief Safety Officer, told MyLondon: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Mr. Mitchell, who sadly died at Stratford Tube station on December 26 2023. We welcome the recommendations from the RAIB’s independent investigation into this incident, which align with the findings of our own internal investigation, and work has already begun to implement them.”
She added: “We will always strive to learn from incidents and improve operational safety, including by ensuring relevant regulatory bodies are immediately informed, carrying out thorough and extensive internal investigations and prioritising taking action on any recommendations from any review. While serious injuries on our network are rare, we are undertaking a huge range of work to eradicate such incidents and make the network even safer for everyone.”
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