Pushchair trapped in tram doors and dragged, Nottingham
Investigation into a pushchair being trapped in tram doors and dragged, Radford Road, Nottingham, 15 December 2017.
Image showing the tram at Radford Road tram stop
At about 13:34 hrs on Friday 15 December 2017, an empty pushchair became trapped in the doors of a tram at Radford Road tram stop and was then dragged on the outside of the tram until the next tram stop. Nobody was injured during the incident.
The tram was operated by Nottingham Express Transit and was travelling from Hucknall to Toton Lane. After it arrived at Radford Road tram stop, several people, including a ticket inspector escorting a passenger, got off the tram. Shortly afterwards, another passenger, travelling with the escorted passenger and carrying a child, moved a pushchair out of the tram. As she was doing this, the tram doors began to close. When the doors reached the fully closed position, the pushchair was outside with its plastic weather guard trapped in the doors, and the passenger and child were still inside the tram. The tram then moved off. The pushchair remained attached to the tram until the next stop, Hyson Green Market, where the tram driver first became aware of it. The passenger operated a passenger-to-driver communication device while the tram was travelling between the two stops but no conversation with the driver took place.
Our investigation into the accident will determine the sequence of events. It will also include consideration of:
- the actions of the staff involved
- the process for checking whether it is safe for a tram to depart from Radford Road tram stop, including the equipment provided to assist the driver in this task
- the door control and obstacle detection system
- the passenger-to-driver communication system and associated procedures
- any underlying management factors
Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry, or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.
We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.
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