Today's latest irresponsible Tube safety scare mongering story from Capital Transport
Campaign (CTC) serves only to demonstrate how little they know about the Underground.
They claim that the Tube has made changes to its safety procedures "on the
quiet" and without proper consultation with its staff.
That's not true.
As a responsible operator we regularly review our safety procedures. And when
we do we always consult our workforce through the trades unions' health and safety
representatives.
For evacuating passengers from trains no two incidents are the identical and current
guidelines allow our staff on the ground to take decisions based on the specific
circumstances they face. The clear objective is to bring passengers into a place
of safety quickly and with minimum inconvenience.
Here are the facts:
- If a Tube train is stuck in a tunnel for any reason we always try in the
first instance to move it into the next platform.
- The decision to evacuate a train would normally be taken by a Manager,
who has an overall picture of the incident, but in certain emergency circumstances
the driver can start evacuation, after turning off the current. This procedure
is unchanged.
- LU issued guidelines to all Operational Managers in March 1999 to say that
after a 15 minute delay, they option of evacuating passengers from trains
stalled in tunnels should be considered
- Before deciding to proceed, they would need to take into account the estimated
time they believe it will take before they can move the train, whether any
trains are stuck in the tunnel behind them, train loadings, lighting and ventilation
considerations and any other factors particular to that incident.
These considerations are very important. It is often quicker and more convenient
for passengers to remain on board a train a little longer, if managers believe
that they will soon be able to move the train into a platform and passengers
can alight normally. An evacuation of a full train by walking passengers along
the track can take over an hour to complete, by the time the electricity is
turned off, trains are stopped, and assistance provided.
We would like to advise our customers of the facts and to reassure them that
- in spite of Capital Transport Campaign's attempts to create unnecessary alarm
- London Underground will continue to take every possible step to ensure your
safety and well-being while travelling by Tube.
