A 101-year-old passenger was dragged along a platform after their coat became trapped in a Tube train door, according to a new report.
The passenger, who was unnamed in the report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), was pulled along for two metres before falling to the floor as the coat became free of the door.
It happened after the centenarian stepped off a Northern line train at Archway station in north London on 18 February last year.
The train travelled about 20 metres before it stopped when the driver activated the emergency brake after realising what had happened.
The passenger, whose companion also fell but was unhurt, was taken to hospital for treatment for “serious injuries”.
Investigators said the driver was aware the passenger and their companion were “close to the train” but “was not aware” of the trapped coat.
Second incident involving same driver
The coat was not detected by onboard systems, so the driver “commanded the train to depart”.
The pair “regularly travelled” on the Tube, the RAIB said, and had “moved to the door area to be ready to alight” as the train approached the station.
Investigators found the driver activated the control to close the doors four seconds after they opened, meaning they were only fully open for six seconds.
In a previous incident involving the same driver in December 2021, a passenger was caught in the doors while trying to board a train at Bank station.
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The RAIB also reported another passenger was dragged for 20 metres along Chal Fark station, which is also on the Northern line, after their coat was caught in the door.
‘Extremely concerned’
They suffered “minor physical injuries to their left elbow and both knees and psychological distress” on 20 April last year.
Investigators made four recommendations for the London Underground, related to understanding the risk from incidents of this kind and how to minimise them, the minimum amount of time a Tube train should remain at a platform before continuing its journey, and how a train driver’s attention and awareness can be influenced.
Nick Dent, London Underground’s director of customer operations, said they were “extremely concerned” by the two incidents last year and are “in the process” of implementing recommendations.
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