Urgent Safety Advice 01/2023: Passenger doors not centrally controlled and/or locked by train crew
Published 29 March 2023
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1. Safety issue
Suitable arrangements may not be in place to mitigate the risks arising from the operation of passenger trains formed of rolling stock with doors that are not centrally controlled and/or locked by train crew (principally slam door rolling stock) where these trains are close to, or longer than, the length of station platforms.
2. Safety advice
Heritage railways and other operators of trains who use passenger coaching stock without doors which are centrally controlled and/or locked by train crew (principally slam door rolling stock) should review the risks associated with the use of train formations which may not be fully platformed or which are of a length close to that of the platforms being called at.
Duty holders should ensure that a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks is carried out and that any appropriate control measures identified are implemented. These assessments should consider:
- the type and location of passenger doors on the relevant rolling stock
- the length of passenger trains compared to the platforms at which they may call
- the capabilities of the braking systems of the trains involved and the level of precision which is reasonably achievable by them when stopping
- the level of accuracy in stopping position required of train crew and if this is supported by relevant competency and assessment processes
- if the level of stopping position accuracy required of train crew aligns with the capability of the trains involved and the accuracy required at the relevant platforms
- the effectiveness of existing measures intended to manage the risk of passengers exiting a train that is not fully platformed or which may stop in line with areas not intended for public use, such as platform ramps
- the visibility from the cab of different traction units and the effectiveness of any stopping markers in place.
3. Issued to:
Heritage railways and other operators of trains who use passenger coaching stock which has passenger doors which are not centrally controlled and/or locked by train crew (principally slam door rolling stock).
4. Background
At around 11:49 hrs on 14 January 2023, a passenger lost their footing and sustained a serious injury while alighting from a train at Loughborough Central station on the Great Central Railway.
The Great Central Railway is a heritage railway and the passenger train involved was formed of historic slam door rolling stock. The accident occurred just after the train had stopped and as the passenger was alighting from the leading door of the train’s leading coach. The train stopped in a position which meant that this door was adjacent to the ramped part of the platform, which is not intended for public use. The passenger lost their footing and sustained their injuries while they were stepping down from the coach and onto the platform ramp.