Not a good day for Euston...

National Rail reporting 30 minute delays due to a signal failure, alongside 60 minute delays between Watford and Milton Keynes due to a person under train at Cheddington... Not looking good with Lime Street and Wolverhampton departures already succumbing to it

Currently at Stoke. Severe delays and cancellations to most VT services. Passengers advised to travel on EMT via Derby.

Slow lines have just reopened. Delays until at least 14:00

Fatality confirmed at Cheddington

Atherstone on Saturday and Cheddington today.

A very sad and distressing time for all, especially for families involved and Virgin, NR and LM staff.

Currently on the 1155 from Piccadilly, the 1055, 1115, and 1135 services were all cancelled.

Thoughts with the driver concerned and with the family and friends of the deceased.

Think i saw something on Twitter saying this was the 32nd person being hit by a train in 30 days. Thoughts as usual go to the victims family, the railway staff, the emergency services and to the people who may of witnessed the incident.

There was one at Northolt Park yesterday afternoon. Not sure what time exactly.

Welshman said:

Atherstone on Saturday and Cheddington today.

A very sad and distressing time for all, especially for families involved and Virgin, NR and LM staff.

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As an ex LUL employee I fully agree that our thoughts go out not only to the family and friends of the deceased but very much to the rail staff involved in incidents like these.

Please note I am not going to go into any details of my experiences on LUL and persons under trains.

Welshman said:

A very sad and distressing time for all, especially for families involved and Virgin, NR and LM staff.

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And the BTP, who are regularly forgotten as part of the railway 'family', but have more personal involvement in a fatality than almost anybody else working on the railway...

the sniper said:

And the BTP, who are regularly forgotten as part of the railway 'family', but have more personal involvement in a fatality than almost anybody else working on the railway...

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And of cource they might not be part of the railway "family" but it's not pleasent for the ambulance crews involved either. Another group of forgotten victims are the witnesses, particularly those who are close by. Must be particularly horrible for those who might feel they could have prevented it. I know someone who saw someone throw themselves infront of a lorry, and it haunted them for a long time they perhaps they could have done something to stop it (even though realistically they could never have known). As far as I know the lorry driver in that case never drove again either.

ChrisCooper said:

And of cource they might not be part of the railway "family" but it's not pleasent for the ambulance crews involved either. Another group of forgotten victims are the witnesses, particularly those who are close by. Must be particularly horrible for those who might feel they could have prevented it. I know someone who saw someone throw themselves infront of a lorry, and it haunted them for a long time they perhaps they could have done something to stop it (even though realistically they could never have known). As far as I know the lorry driver in that case never drove again either.

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Very true. Witnesses on the platforms, which can include people of any age, arguably have one of the worst experience of anybody, as it's not a hazard of their job to be involved and they often have a clearer view than the driver...

I was told that the cameras at LU stations have analysis software that can detect unusual actions\movements by pax, including the characteristic behaviours of distressed peeps vacillating about throwing themselves in front of train. Maybe NR stations could use the same?

amcluesent said:

I was told that the cameras at LU stations have analysis software that can detect unusual actions\movements by pax, including the characteristic behaviours of peeps vacillating about throwing themselves in front of train. Maybe NR stations could use the same?

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There is software that can detect suspicious, suicidal or dangerous behaviour from multiple camera feeds. I am sure if it was used correctly it could save lives, but I think other measures, such as completing the fencing off platforms on fast lines that are rarely used for stopping services (plus lockable gates, of course, for access, should the need arise), would have more of an effect in the short to medium term. Remember that a lot of software has to be developed gradually, with algorithms tested and developed in accordance with a slowly expanding set of potential scenarios, etc.

I am afraid I do not know the specifics of any software operating as part of the LU CCTV computer system. I hope it does not sound callous, but it could cause massive issues if the software were installed on all NR camera systems and there happened to be repeated instances of it picking up behaviour which wasn't actually in any way suicidal. I'm thinking about people like platform staff, and also trainspotters. Could their behaviour end up being incorrectly monitored, I wonder? We wouldn't want the WCML, ECML, GWML, BML, MML or whatever shut down for any length of time whilst a trainspotter was told to stop wandering around a platform. Instead, a high-priority alert to the relevant staff would probably best, in order to allow them to make a swift judgment.

Although there would probably be concerns about misuse, I would be very much in favour of "emergency stop" buttons being fitted on station platforms - much like you would see on many LU platforms.

My thoughts and condolences are extended to all those who have had to deal with these incidents, the friends and families of the victims, and all the witnesses. I hear there was also a fatal incident at Cheddington today. There are too many incidents like this.