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September 17, 2013

£75,000 fine for First Capital Connect after passengers left stranded

 

First Capital Connect (FCC) has been fined £75,000 after a train lost power and was stranded for three hours with 700 passengers on board.
 
On 26 May 2011, the FCC service from Brighton to Bedford lost power at Dock Junction between St Pancras International and Kentish Town stations in North London. 
 
An Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) investigation into the incident found that FCC had not adequately planned its response to deal with stranded trains or provided those on board with accurate information, working ventilation or toilet facilities. 
 
Passengers were forced to call National Rail Enquiries for updates and throughout the three-hour period were repeatedly informed a rescue train would be arriving in ten minutes. 
 
Inaccurate passenger information updates and poor conditions on board resulted in many passengers forcing open the doors and leaving the train.
 
Passengers self-evacuating a stranded train are exposed to significant safety risks, including dangers from moving trains, power cables, weather and ground conditions. The safest option for passengers in these circumstances is to remain on the train until told otherwise.
 
The incident was also subject to a Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) investigation, which found that the strategy for rescuing the stranded train was to bring another train onto the front and haul it into Kentish Town station. The arrival of the assisting train was delayed and it did not couple onto the front of the failed train until around 20:20 hours.
 
During the next 50 minutes the driver of the combined train failed to complete the arrangements necessary for its movement into Kentish Town. He was hampered by passenger alarms being activated and his uncertainty over the status of the doors on part of the train.
 
Blackfriars Crown Court heard that FCC had disabled an important safety system which meant the driver was unaware that doors had been re-opened when, with passengers outside, the train was tested and moved.
 
Additionally, a number of doors were still open when the train eventually travelled to its destination at Kentish Town Station.
 
The RAIB investigation found that options for evacuating passengers, other than the use of an assisting train, had either been discounted or had not been briefed to those staff responsible for developing the rescue strategy on the day. 
 
On 16 September, First Capital Connect pleaded guilty to a charge under section 3(1) of the HSWA 1974 and was fined £75,000 and ordered to pay costs of £27,718.
 
ORR director of safety Ian Prosser, said: “ORR’s investigation into First Capital Connects’ response to a broken down train in North London highlighted that passengers were treated with a distinct lack of care, as the company committed a catalogue of errors. 
 
“The company left hundreds of passengers trapped on a train for three hours with no air conditioning, toilets or communication system. The company’s response significantly increased the risk of passengers independently leaving the train onto the tracks, when the safest place for them was to stay on board until told otherwise.
 
“Since the incident First Capital Connect has taken steps to rectify their management of similar situations. ORR is monitoring the company and will not hesitate to take action to ensure passengers are not placed in such a position again. Accurate and timely passenger information is essential not only for those planning journeys, but as this incident demonstrates, is critical for the safe running of the railways.”
 
Since the incident, FCC has taken steps to rectify their management of similar situations, including training staff, developing new methods of communication, sending more staff to assist with incidents and providing trains with door ventilation kits.
 
Responding to the verdict, First Capital Connect managing director, David Statham, said: “The safety of our passengers is our top priority and we deeply regret what happened back in May 2011. We didn’t live up to our own high standards in the way we handled this event, which is why we took quick and decisive action afterwards.
 
“We commissioned comprehensive internal and external investigations that led to a range of actions to ensure this unusual combination of events is extremely unlikely to happen again.
 
“The safest place for passengers while a controlled evacuation or rescue is being arranged is on the train and we have new processes, techniques and equipment to speed the process whenever possible and to make it more comfortable for those on board.”
 

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Jack Cotterill
Jack Cotterill
11 years ago

What a pity (!) that those awarding FCC the contract for running trains did not think to check FCC’s tender for the procedures for dealing with passengers at a breakdown. Pretty basic I would have thought. After the event as usual!

Ruth Strong
Ruth Strong
11 years ago

The reaction of trapped passengers is only one of the reasons that a properly trained guard should be on all trains. FCC use driver-only operation. The driver by him or herself cannot be expected to provide a safe travel environment. Guards are trained to deal with safety related incidents -accidents, fires, emergency evacuations – and can communicate effectively with all stakeholders. Let the driver drive – keep guards on all trains.