Woman dragged along platform after getting wrist caught in train door

A woman passenger was dragged along a platform by a departing train at Newcastle Central Station after getting her wrist trapped in a door, an accident report has revealed.

She was forced to move with the train, operated by First TransPennine Express (FTPE,) to avoid being pulled off her feet, the report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said.

The conductor did not see the trapped passenger on the curved-shaped platform because he did not do a final safety check before dispatching the train, the report said. Words:PA

The train reached a speed of around 5mph before stopping after travelling around 20 metres, with the woman - who had been attempting to board the train as the doors were closing - suffering severe
bruising to her wrist.

The incident happened at Newcastle Central Station at 5.02pm on June 5 last year.

The RAIB said the doors of the train were, in certain circumstances, able to trap a wrist and lock without the door obstruction sensing system detecting it.

Once the doors were detected as locked, the train was able to move.

In 2004, although the parties involved in the train's design and its approval for service were aware of
this hazard, the risk associated with it was not formally documented or assessed, the report said.

The RAIB made six safety recommendations.

A First TransPennine Express spokesman said: "We note and welcome the findings of the RAIB report.

"Incidents like this are extremely rare and we have a very good safety record since our franchise began in 2004. We recognise that the recommendations in the report provide opportunities for ourselves and industry partners to improve the safety on the railway and will be implementing those aspects that apply to us as soon as possible."

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