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The London Underground network carries more than a billion passengers a year. [1] It has one fatal accident for every 300 million journeys. [2] Five accidents causing passenger deaths have occurred due to train operation in nearly 80 years since the London Passenger Transport Board was formed, the last being at Moorgate in 1975; other fatalities have been due to wartime and terrorist bombings and station fires. 

Up to World War II

Date Underground line Location/Station Incident Deaths Injuries
10 March 1938 Northern line Near Charing Cross (now Embankment) Two Northern line trains collided between Waterloo and the station, with 12 passengers suffering minor injuries. The accidents on separate lines were caused by wrong-side failures of the signals due to signal linesmen's wiring errors. 12
17 May 1938 District line Near Charing Cross (now Embankment) On 17 May, two District line trains collided near the station, killing 6. 6

World War II

Date Underground line Location/Station Incident Deaths Injuries
13 October 1940 - Bounds Green station On the night of 13 October 1940 a German bomb fell at Bounds Green station killing 16 people. 16
14 October 1940 - Road above Balham station On 14 October 1940, during World War II, a bomb fell in the road above Balham station, with the blast penetrating into the tunnel 9 metres below. The water mains and sewage pipes were broken, causing flooding and the loss of 68 lives – 64 shelterers and 4 railway staff. [3] The station and the tracks between Clapham South and Tooting Bec (then called Trinity Road, Tooting Bec) were closed until January 1941. 68
11 January 1941 Central line (ticket hall) Bank station On 11 January 1941 during World War II the Central line ticket hall of Bank station suffered a direct hit from a German bomb. The roadway collapsed into the subways and station concourse, killing 56 people. 56
3 March 1943 - Bethnal Green station
Main article: Bethnal Green tube station § Wartime disaster

On 3 March 1943 a crowd of people were entering what was to become Bethnal Green station, which was being used at the time as an air-raid shelter. An anti-aircraft battery, a few hundred yards away in Victoria Park, launched a salvo of a new type of anti-aircraft rockets, causing the crowd to surge forward. A woman tripped on the stairs causing many others to fall. Three hundred people were crushed into the stairwell, 173 died at the scene.

173 300

After World War II

Date Underground line Location/Station Incident Deaths Injuries
31 December 1945 Metropolitan line Near Northwood On 31 December 1945, two Metropolitan line trains collided in fog on an open-air section near Northwood. The driver of the second train had passed a danger signal under the " Stop and Proceed" rule but did not see the preceding train soon enough to stop. A fire was started by electrical arcing. 3 people were killed. [4] 3 0
27 July 1946 Northern line Edgware tube station On 27 July 1946, a Northern line train hit the buffers at Edgware. No passengers were killed; the driver died, but it was shown that he had suffered a heart attack at the controls before the collision. It appeared that the dead man's handle had been disabled while the train was still moving. [5] 1 0
8 April 1953 Central line Near to signal post A491, Stratford
Main article: Stratford tube crash

On 8 April 1953 two Central line trains collided in a tunnel section during disruption caused by a signal failure, killing 12 people.

12 46
28 July 1958 Central line Between Shepards Bush station and Holland Park station A train fire occurred at the station, due to electrical short circuits in the trains causing arcing. The train had to be evacuated in the tunnels and almost all passengers and crew suffered from smoke inhalation. Forty-eight passengers and three rail crew were taken to hospital, and ten were admitted. One passenger died. [6] 1 51
11 August 1960 Central line Between Redbridge and Gants Hill A train fire occurred at the station, due to electrical short circuits in the trains causing arcing. The train had to be evacuated in the tunnels and passengers and crew suffered from smoke inhalation.There were no fatalities in the Redbridge fire on 11 August 1960. [7] 0 41
23 September 1968 Bakerloo line Neasden station On 23 September 1968 a northbound ballast train passed three signals at danger and collided with the rear of a stationary Bakerloo Line passenger train standing in the platform. The driver of the ballast train died before he could be released, an accompanying inspector and the train's guard were taken to hospital and survived. [8] 1
28 February 1975 Northern City line Moorgate station
Main article: Moorgate tube crash

On 28 February 1975 a southbound Northern City Line train crashed into the tunnel end beyond the platform at Moorgate station. Forty-three people were killed in what was the greatest loss of life on the Underground in peacetime. Seventy-four people were injured. As the driver was one of the initial 43 dead, the cause of the incident was never conclusively determined, and an accidental death verdict was recorded at the official inquest.

43 74
9 July 1980 Central line Holborn station
Main article: Holborn rail crash

On 9 July 1980 a Central line train failed to stop in time after passing a signal at danger and being tripped by a train stop. The train hit another train standing in the westbound platform at Holborn. No serious injuries were caused by the accident, and although twenty people were evacuated to hospital, only two stayed overnight. An inquiry concluded that the accident was caused by the motorman of the rear train failing to control his train.

0
23 November 1984 - Oxford Circus station
Main article: Oxford Circus fire

On 23 November 1984 a fire raged inside Oxford Circus station. It started at 9.50 p.m. in a materials store and was declared extinguished at 3 a.m. the next day. Fourteen people were treated for smoke inhalation. The probable cause of the fire was smoker's materials being pushed through a ventilation grille into the materials store. This ignited rags or paint thinner within the store.

14
11 December 1984 Metropolitan line Kilburn station At Kilburn station on 11 December 1984, a northbound Metropolitan line train incorrectly passed a signal at danger in foggy weather. The driver reset the controls, moved forward, and was killed when the train collided with a stationary train in front. 1
16 October 1986 Bakerloo line Kensal Green station At Kensal Green station on 16 October 1986, a stationary southbound Bakerloo line train at Kensal Green station was struck in the rear by a Class 313 British Rail service on the Euston to Watford Junction line "The DC line". 23 passengers were injured. The driver of the class 313 passed the protecting stop signal as though it were at caution when it only showed a 'calling on' aspect. The (apparently distracted) driver of the Class 313 observed the train stop lower at the stop signal but failed to notice that the signal had only displayed a calling on aspect. A further protecting repeater signal had been temporarily removed while a retaining wall was being removed but the preceding stop signal had been modified to show a maximum 'caution' aspect for the duration.

The accident report criticised the fact that the calling on aspect looked much the same as the yellow 'proceed at caution' aspect but for its position on the signal head. [9]

The Euston to Watford Junction line was, at this time, signalled with an experimental system (installed in 1932–3) where a stop signal automatically changed to a calling on aspect after a 70-80 second time delay. The repeater signals, unusually, were able to show green, yellow, or red aspects but were not equipped with train stops. A driver was permitted to pass a red repeater after one minute. Although intended to overcome local signal failures, the more intensive service of the past occasionally produced the spectacle of several trains occupying the same section buffer-to-buffer. Normally, on this system, there were always at least two (and often three) red signals behind any train. Though not unique at the time of installation, the system was the sole example of its type at the time of the collision. The system has since been replaced by a Network Rail standard colour light system, work for which was actually taking place when the accident occurred.

18 September 1987 District line Richmond station On 18 September 1987, a District line train of London Underground D stock failed to stop in time at Richmond station. The train hit the buffers and broke an adjacent glass panel. No serious injuries were caused by the accident. Sixteen people were minorly injured. [10] 16
18 November 1987 - King's Cross station
Main article: King's Cross fire

On 18 November 1987, a large fire broke out in King's Cross St Pancras station. Thirty-one people died, killed by the toxic fumes and extreme heat of the blaze. The fire was the result of a discarded match or cigarette igniting debris, detritus and grease beneath the wooden escalators. As a result of this, the widely ignored smoking ban was more rigorously enforced throughout the system. All of the network's wooden escalators have now been replaced, [11] and other measures have been put in place to help prevent a repeat incident.

31
24 April 1999 District line Soon after Gunnersbury station On 24 April 1999, a District line train of D stock, eastbound from Richmond derailed soon after leaving Gunnersbury Station, at Gunnersbury Triangle junction points, where the line diverged from the Railtrack route of the North London line. The trailing car, DM NO 7040 derailed and ended up skewed across the track.

No one was hurt and the passengers were soon removed from the lightly loaded train. The cause was believed to have been maintenance shortcomings by Railtrack.[ citation needed]

0 0
25 January 2003 Central line Chancery Lane On 25 January 2003, a Central line train of 1992 stock derailed at Chancery Lane, injuring 32 passengers, after a motor became detached from the train. The entire line, and the Waterloo & City line (which also uses 1992 Stock trains), were closed for approximately three months whilst the cause of the failure was determined and appropriate modifications made to the trains. [12] [13] 0 32
17 October 2003 Piccadilly line East of Hammersmith station On 17 October 2003 the last carriage of a 6-car eastbound Piccadilly line train of 1973 stock derailed east of Hammersmith station. The cause was a broken rail. None of the 70 passengers on board were injured. [14] 0 0
19 October 2003 Northern line Approaching Camden Town station On 19 October 2003 the last carriage of a 6-car Northern line train of 1995 stock derailed on the approach to Camden Town station. The derailed car hit a wall and the fifth car was partially derailed. Seven passengers were injured, 6 of whom had minor injuries. The other injury was a broken femur. The cause was a poorly designed set of points. The tunnel wall was damaged, and had to be repaired. [15] 0 7
11 May 2004 Central line Approaching White City station On 11 May 2004 the leading bogie of the 7th car of an 8-car Central line train of 1992 stock derailed on a set of points during the approach to White City station. None of the 150 passengers on board were injured; a normal train service was restored the next day. The cause was found to be in the design of the set of points at locations with specific characteristics and a switch rail that had been replaced the day before the accident.

[16] An episode of The Tube contained a segment on the accident and subsequent recovery process.

0 0
5 July 2007 Central line Between Bethnal Green and Mile End stations On 5 July 2007, two cars of an eight-car westbound Central line train of 1992 stock derailed at 65 km/h between Bethnal Green and Mile End tube stations. 520 passengers were trapped below ground for two hours, until they were escorted from the derailed train by following one another along the tracks to Mile End tube station. Eight people required hospital treatment and a further thirteen were treated at the scene for minor injuries. Most of the injuries were caused while walking along the uneven surface in the tunnel. The Central line was suspended between Liverpool Street and Leytonstone until the end of the following day as a safety investigation was carried out and the derailed train was rerailed. The investigation found that the derailment was caused by a roll of fire-resistant material being blown onto the tracks from its storage place in a connecting passageway between the two tunnels. The blanket had not been adequately secured, since the workers had not realised how strong were the winds blowing through the passage. [17] 0 21
13 August 2010 N/A Archway station to Warren Street station At around 07:00 on 13 August 2010, a broken-down maintenance wagon became uncoupled from the locomotive that was towing it, allowing it to roll southwards from Archway station. The runaway train reached a maximum speed of 30 mph and passed through all stops until Warren Street station where an uphill gradient caused it to come to rest. On 28 February 2013, London Underground, Tube Lines and the German company Schweerbau were each fined £100,000 at the Old Bailey for health and safety breaches. [18]
3 February 2014 Piccadilly line Holborn station At 19:00 on 3 February 2014, a passenger was hospitalised after being dragged along the platform by a departing Piccadilly line train after the end of her scarf was caught in a closing door. [19] 0 1
2 March 2016 District line Just outside of Ealing Broadway station On 2 March 2016, a District line train derailed just outside Ealing Broadway station due to a set of points set incorrectly. There were no injuries. [20] 0 0
6 November 2017 South Western Railway (on track owned by London Underground) Just after leaving Wimbledon station At 06:58 on 6 November 2017, a South Western Railway train derailed just after it left Wimbledon, on the section of the track linking the South West Main Line, owned by Network Rail and the District line, owned by London Underground. [21] Investigation found out that there was a gap between the patrolled area, and a significant stretch of track, including where the derailment occurred, was missed from inspections. 0 0
26 May 2020 Bakerloo line Waterloo station At 10:10 on 26 May 2020, a passenger fell into the gap between the platform and the northbound Bakerloo train from which he had just alighted. The passenger was unable to free himself, was paralysed by the departing train and crushed by the next train, dying as a result of his injuries. [22]The incident was caused by the curvature of the track where the passenger alighted creating a large gap between the train and the platform. [23] 1 0
1 April to 25 June 2022 (exact date unknown) Piccadilly line Unknown According to Transport for London's quarterly health and safety report in 2022, a customer’s head was crushed by a Piccadilly line train, while they urinated between two train carriages the train, which was in motion at the time. [24] 0 1
22 August 2022 Piccadilly line Park Royal tube station At 03:38 BST on 22 August 2022, Yagmur Ozden, 33, was killed and Zamarod Arif, 26, was seriously injured, when Rida Kazem, 24, who was driving them home after a night out, lost control of the Range Rover he was driving, on the A40, crashing through fencing into a parked Tesla (which was parked in a dealership, with a passenger inside the car waiting for it to charge, and also was injured), before the Range Rover flipped onto tracks near to Park Royal tube station. Investigations found that at the time of the incident, Kazem had been driving at 110mph (177km/h). Kazem, who lost part of his left leg in the crash, was jailed for seven-and-a-half-years after admitting causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving. [25] [26] 1 3
30 September 2022 High Barnet station On the night of 30 September 2022, Sarah de Lagarde fell asleep on a northbound Northern line, missed getting off at Camden Town, and did not wake up until the train terminated at High Barnet. Disorientated, she slipped on the wet platform and fell through the gap between cars. She was then run over by the departing train, as well as a subsequent incoming one, in the process of which she lost her right arm and right leg. A TfL report concluded that, "This was a [series] of unfortunate and unique events that resulted in the [injured person] sustaining life-changing injuries," and the Office of Rail and Road, British Transport Police, and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch concluded no further investigation was needed. De Lagarde now suffers from PTSD as a result of the incident and in 2023, told LBC that she could no longer travel by Tube. [27] [28] In February 2024 she launched a High Court Personal injury claim against TfL. [29] [30] [31] 0 1
18 February 2023 Northern line Archway station At approximately 15:50 GMT, a passenger's coat became trapped in the doors of a Northern line train at Archway station, causing them to be dragged about 2 metres, before their coat was dislodged from the door. The passenger and another person fell to the ground, causing the passenger to suffer a 'serious injury', according to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB). [32] 0
20 April 2023 Northern line Chalk Farm station At approximately 23:00 GMT, a passenger's coat became trapped in the doors of a Northern line train at Chalk Farm station, causing them to be dragged just under 20 metres, before their coat was dislodged from the doors, according to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB). The passenger suffered serious injuries. [32] 0 1
25 May 2023 Northern line Clapham Common station At approximately 17:50 BST, passengers onboard a Northern line train smashed the windows of the train, after mistaking brake dust that had filled the carriages, with smoke from a fire. The British Transport Police (BTP), later confirmed there were no reported injuries and that the London Fire Brigade (LFB) had attended, confirming there was not a fire. It was thought a mechanical fault with a ventilation fan on the train had caused an alert at the station. Transport for London (TfL) later apologised for the 'distress caused at Clapham Common'. [33] [34] 0 0
26 December 2023 Jubilee line Stratford tube station At approximately 14:45 GMT, a passenger fell from the platform of Stratford tube station and onto the tracks. They were later discovered on the tracks by Underground staff, but had died, potentially having been struck by 'a number of trains'. It was reported on 24 January 2024, that the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) were investigating the incident. [35] 1 0

See also

References

  1. ^ "London Underground racks up record ridership figures". Transport for London. 19 April 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  2. ^ "The parlous state of the London Underground". The Economist. 23 October 2003. Retrieved 5 June 2008.
  3. ^ Croome; Jackson (2003). Rails Through the Clay. Capital. p. 275.
  4. ^ "Report on the Collision which occurred on the 31st December 1945, at Northwood on the Metropolitan and Great Central Joint Railway" (PDF). The Railways Archive. Ministry of Transport. 1946. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  5. ^ "Report on the Collision which occurred on 27th July, 1946, at Edgware on the Northern Line of the London Passenger Transport Board" (PDF). The Railways Archive. Ministry of Transport. Retrieved 5 June 2008.
  6. ^ "Report on the Electrical Fire which occurred on 28th July 1958 between Shepherd's Bush and Holland Park on the Central Line London Transport Railways" (PDF). The Railways Archive. Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  7. ^ "Report on the Electrical Fire which occurred on 11 August 1960 between Redbridge and Gants Hill on the Central Line London Transport Railways" (PDF). The Railways Archive. Ministry of Transport. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  8. ^ "Report on the Collision that occurred on 23rd September 1968 at Neasden Station on the Bakerloo Line London Transport Railways". Railways Archive. 30 June 1969. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  9. ^ "Report on the Collision that occurred on 16th October 1986 at Kensal Green in the London Midland Region British Railways" (PDF). Railways Archive. 22 November 1988. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Accident at Richmond on 18 September 1987". Railways Archive. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Tube's only wooden escalator to carry last passengers – Transport – London 24". Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  12. ^ "Derailment at Chancery Lane 25 January 2003" (PDF). Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Tube derailment was 'accident waiting to happen'". The Guardian. 2 June 2003. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  14. ^ "Checks 'did not find rail problem'". BBC News. 18 October 2003. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  15. ^ "Second Tube train derailed". BBC News. 19 October 2003. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  16. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 September 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2013.{{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title ( link)
  17. ^ "Derailment of a London Underground Central Line train near Mile End station 5 July 2007" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch. Department for Transport. January 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  18. ^ "Runaway Tube train: Operators fined £300,000". BBC News. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  19. ^ "Passenger dragged a short distance by a train at Holborn station". Rail Accident Investigation Branch. 10 December 2014. Archived from the original on 16 August 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  20. ^ "Report 24/2016: Derailment at Ealing Broadway". Rail Accident Investigation Branch. 5 December 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Derailment of a passenger train near Wimbledon, south-west London, 6 November 2017". Rail Accident Investigation Branch. 7 February 2018.
  22. ^ "Fatal accident at Waterloo Underground station, London, 26 May 2020". Rail Accident Investigation Branch. 7 September 2021.
  23. ^ "Report 05/2021: Fatal accident at Waterloo Underground station". GOV.UK. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  24. ^ Talora, Joe (12 September 2022). "Passenger's head crushed as they 'tried urinating in between carriages' on Tube". Evening Standard. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  25. ^ "Park Royal Tube track crash: Driver who killed woman jailed". BBC News. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Uber driver's narrow escape from 'horror movie' crash which left car on Tube tracks". The Independent. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Woman who lost arm and leg after being run over by two Tube trains pays £17,000 for prosthetic after NHS delays". LBC. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  28. ^ Chantler-Hicks, Lydia (2 November 2023). "Mother lost arm and leg after slipping onto Tube tracks and being hit by two trains". Evening Standard. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  29. ^ "Woman hit by two Tube trains takes TfL to High Court". BBC News. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  30. ^ Lithgow, George (7 February 2024). "Woman who lost limbs when hit by Tube trains launches legal case against TfL". Evening Standard. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  31. ^ Khaliq, Zahra; Lithgow, George (7 February 2024). "Mum whose limbs were ripped off by train cried for help as second tube hit her". The Mirror. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  32. ^ a b Toms, Adam (21 June 2023). "Underground passenger 'dragged for 20 metres' after getting coat trapped in door". My London. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  33. ^ "Clapham Common Tube passengers panic and smash windows after carriages fill with 'brake dust'". Sky News. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  34. ^ "Clapham Common: Passengers smash Tube train windows in fire alert". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  35. ^ "RAIB to investigate Boxing Day passenger death at London railway station". RailAdvent. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
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