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Terrified passenger pulled along platform after train doors close on his ankle

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GodAtum

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A terrified passenger feared he was going to die when he was dragged along the platform after his ankle became trapped in the train door.

Mark Simpson, 46, was leaving the train at Rayleigh station in Essex when the automatic doors suddenly snapped shut.

His whole body was trapped at first but he managed to pull himself free apart from his ankle, which was still gripped as the train then began moving.

Mr Simpson, who was with his girlfriend Jane Stone, had to hop along the platform for around 30 seconds until he eventually managed to wrench his leg free.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rm-train-doors-close-ankle.html#ixzz1BbUBYBVG

I'm surprised no-one pulled the emergency cord!
 
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depablo

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I am not familiar with the train but would have thought "sensitive edge" if similar to the Voyagers would have opened the doors.

Maybe a bit of compo heading his way?
 

NXEA!

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They use Class 315, Class 321 or Class 360 on the line.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenfield_to_Southend_Line
Don't mean to be pedantic, but 360's have no diagrams on the line. ;) And yes, it is D00 indeed, plus Rayleigh station is on a curve, so if this guy was hopping along the platform for 30 seconds, its most likely that he was on the rear carriage of an 8 or 12 car train, and with the curve at Rayleigh, I'm not sure the Driver would've seen? Do correct me if I'm wrong, but I wouldn't've thought so. :)


 

CarterUSM

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Isn't that line DOO? If it is it is quite possible the driver could not see.



Unfortunately that isn't much of a defence. DOO or not, the full length of the train should be checked by Driver/Guard immediately before departure. The driver should leave the cab if necessary in DOO. I am surprised interlock was obtained with an ankle stuck in the door though. Though I am not familiar with the said units.
 

Dai.

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Oh my, that doesn't sound good!

It says in the article that all the other doors were fine.. Could it be that someone had pressed the close button? Would the door close?
 
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Think best to wait for the investigation and any CCTV evidence that might be available before passing comment on this one just so all the facts are out there.
 

142094

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Same thing just about happened to me on a 378 last year, but managed to push to doors back. Happened so fast that I was quite shocked by it (didn't help much that I couldn't move forward or backwards due to the train and platform being packed).
 

Matt Taylor

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"Mark Simpson, 46, was leaving the train at Rayleigh station in Essex when the automatic doors suddenly snapped shut."


Sorry but I don't believe this bit, doors do not 'snap' shut, did he not hear the hustle alarm which continues for about five seconds?
 

Tom B

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And if his travelling companion was still on the train and had to alight at the next station, why didn't she pull the communication cord?
 

pendolino

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"Mark Simpson, 46, was leaving the train at Rayleigh station in Essex when the automatic doors suddenly snapped shut."


Sorry but I don't believe this bit, doors do not 'snap' shut, did he not hear the hustle alarm which continues for about five seconds?

They might if there's a fault.
 

Ivo

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Three points.

One, all services to Southend, whether operated by NXEA or c2c, are DOO. Thus, there would have been no conductor.

Two, I have never known the warning sound to not play. Even if it was the case, you can still hear the door close (there is long enough withdraw a foot!).

Three, stories of people not acting selflessly in Essex are all too common. It is quite "normal" for locals to not give up their seats to the more needy, for instance.

So essentially one point in favour of the poor guy, one neutral, and one that is critical of him. Make what you will of that.

As for the point about pressing "Close", I don't think 321s have said button. Even if they do, the dwell time at Rayleigh isn't long enough for it to matter.
 

MCR247

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Surely the train would have detected if the doors were not closed properly?
 

Ivo

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Do they not even have platform assistants down there who check that all doors have been shut safely before whistling off?

No. Of all the stations in the south-eastern quarter of Essex, only Southend Victoria has such a "luxury". The entire route is barriered, and the driver controls the doors, so platform staff are seen as unnecessary. Platform staff became a rarity in the area when the last 312s the c2c route.
 

Matt Taylor

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If the doors had not closed properly it should be the case that the brakes will not release, it may depend whether it was a 321 or 315.
 

Ibex

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"Mark Simpson, 46, was leaving the train at Rayleigh station in Essex when the automatic doors suddenly snapped shut."


Sorry but I don't believe this bit, doors do not 'snap' shut, did he not hear the hustle alarm which continues for about five seconds?

If it was a 321 it's not uncommon for the hustle alarm at certain doors not to work at all. I've seen it plenty of times at work.

As for the point about pressing "Close", I don't think 321s have said button. Even if they do, the dwell time at Rayleigh isn't long enough for it to matter.

321's do have close buttons on the doors, they don't sound a hustle alarm if they are pressed though (which 360's and most other new stock do).
 

PTF62

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And if his travelling companion was still on the train and had to alight at the next station, why didn't she pull the communication cord?

I suppose that in the same vein you could equally ask that since the driver was still on the train, and had to be there for the rest of the journey, why did they press the 'go' button?</sarcasm off>

It really shouldn't matter what passengers do or don't do, providing it is not utterly utterly ludicrous (and that doesn't appear to be the case here), trains should be safe for them to travel on.

Dragging a passenger down the platform, which has happened before, doesn't seem to meet that test.
 

Fincra5

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However a whistle warning may have been given either by platfrom staff or guard, if there was one, Or the driver saw it was clear, doors begin to close and he tries to jump on, doors on the older style trains (i.e. not Electrostars etc) will not detect an obsticle in the door. However I find it odd the driver was able to draw power with an object the size of an ankle in the doors.
 

Ivo

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There is never a guard on the SOV line. However, unless it was very late (in which case one would wonder if alcohol had a part to play here), I highly doubt that there was no presence at Rayleigh at all. There should have been staff in the office.

EDIT: I see that the time is applicable. In that case, there may have been no other passengers in the car (unlikely). However, I would be inclined to think that alcohol did have a part to play here...

Can I just add that I love how they've used a 360 in the article and not a 321?
 

IanPooleTrains

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That does shock me that there was no staff at Rayleigh station

But there was no way that that train should have left with something as thick as an ankle stuck in the door. Being not too familiar with a 321 door but familiar with a 350 door which is like a 360 (as such) I know that there is no way that that train would have left with that guy's ankle stuck in the door.

Crikey, The London Underground is DOO and they don't leave the station if smething is locked outside the door
 

Greenback

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"Mark Simpson, 46, was leaving the train at Rayleigh station in Essex when the automatic doors suddenly snapped shut."


Sorry but I don't believe this bit, doors do not 'snap' shut, did he not hear the hustle alarm which continues for about five seconds?

That wa smy first thought...

They might if there's a fault.

That wa smy second!

Still, there's not much point in speculating on what might have happened. No doubt there is an investigation underway, and no doubt we will hear the results at some point.
 

Mojo

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If something as large as someone's ankle was stuck in the door then there's no way the interlock would not have picked that up (if it was a piece of fabric such as an unzipped coat then it would have been believable). Therefore surely either: it wasn't his ankle, or the interlock was faulty.
 

Matt Taylor

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and no doubt we will hear the results at some point.


Only if the railway turns out to be majorly at fault. There is a tendency for people to go running to the media with a one sided story, but when the full facts emerge and the passenger is found to be at fault we rarely hear about it.

The words 'wheelchair', 'Pacer' and 'Guide Bridge' are subtle reminders of how some passengers behave.
 
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I'm not a railway person, but the unions could have a field day. I have seen or I should say heard myself 158's not sound alarms before doors closing.
 

MikeWh

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I'm not familiar with the stock on that line, but is there actually a communication cord, or is it a handle to alert the driver. I was quite shocked to find out a few years ago that the handle on 465 networkers does nothing more than ring an alarm in the cab. I know that passengers pulling the old cord and stopping the train could cause problems, but this is exactly the situation where it could be essential. The time I found out was when a train I was on started running fast through stations contrary to the announcement at London Bridge. The driver completely ignored the handle being pulled believing that it was just someone who wanted that stop. As it happens it was, but if it had been a real emergency ...
 
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