An investigation has been launched after a passenger got their hand stuck in a tube door.
A person was on the Elizabeth Line platform at Ealing Broadway, London, in November when they were trapped between the train’s doors.
They had to run alongside the leaving train and be freed by a staff member working on the platform just after midnight. The driver was alerted and stopped after moving about 17 metres. The passenger reportedly suffered minor injuries.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said it would look into what happened. Transport for London (TfL) said it was sorry the customer “experienced this distressing incident”.
Among the issues the RAIB said it would consider are the actions of those involved and the arrangements in place to manage and control the risks associated with passengers getting on and off Elizabeth line trains.
A TfL spokesperson said the operator of the service is currently carrying out a thorough investigation into the incident. The spokesperson said: “We will always strive to learn from incidents and improve operational safety.
“MTR-Elizabeth line is fully co-operating with the RAIB to establish the root cause of this incident to determine what steps they can take to avoid any further events of this nature and to share learnings with the industry.
“While serious injuries on our network are rare, we are undertaking a huge range of work aimed eradicating such incidents and making travelling even safer for everyone.”
This is not the first time something like this has happened, with RAIB investigating two incidents where people were dragged along underground stations when their coats got trapped in shutting doors.
In its report into the incidents, the RAIB recommended that London Underground look at reducing the risk of a passenger becoming trapped and dragged along by a departing train.
This could include technology that can detect when thin objects, such as fingers, straps or clothing, become trapped in train doors and when something is being dragged along by the departing train.
