Person Under a Train. People Left Behind.

Hearing the words "due to a person under a train" inspires a range of emotions with which I would not usually choose to connect during rush hour in London. I heard this announcement most recently this morning, when passengers were being forewarned of delays and possible interruptions to the service.

The London Underground or 'tube' network serves 270 stations and spans over 250 miles (making it the second longest, after Shanghai). It carries over a billion passengers a year (making it the third busiest metro system in Europe after Moscow and Paris), and has statistically low accident rates, with one fatal accident for every 300 million journeys taken around the Capital.

I must concede to feeling somewhat surprised, and even a little perturbed by the outward reactions of my fellow journey-makers on hearing this announcement. I attempted to rationalise this, wondering whether perhaps the majority were otherwise engaged, tuned into their iPods, or a game of early morning Solitaire. I thought maybe daily commuters (a category I happily don't feel I currently belong to) become 'immune' to the safety warnings such as the traditional "Mind the Gap" announcements and regular reminders to stand behind the yellow lines.

I am relieved to discover having conducted some vague research into the fact, that very few accidents are caused by overcrowding on the platforms, which are apparently monitored, to avoid overcrowded. (I wonder what the TfL definition of overcrowded looks like, as breathing space at Vauxhall waiting for the Victoria Line Northbound was at a premium this morning).

That said, most fatalities on the network are suicides. Delays resulting from a person jumping or falling in front of a train as it pulls into a station are announced as an "unfortunate delay", "passenger action", "customer incident" or "a person under a train". Staff refer to the scenario as "one under".

London Underground has a team of specially trained professionals, to support personnel including drivers who have experience post-traumatic stress, resulting from someone jumping under their train. I wonder who helps those members of the public who witness such events, or those who are left behind?

Comments

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