At about 16:00 hrs on Wednesday 31 January 2018, a passenger’s bag became trapped between the doors of a westbound train at Notting Hill Gate station on the Central line. The passenger was unable to free the bag, despite the assistance of others, nor could she let go of it. As the train began to move she was dragged along the platform and into the running tunnel beyond before the train stopped. The passenger, who was 78 years old, was seriously injured.

Passengers on the train operated the emergency alarms and the train operator applied the brake. By the time the train came to a stand, six of its eight coaches were in the running tunnel. Emergency services and London Underground’s emergency response unit rescued the passenger from the space between the underside of the train and the tunnel wall and she was taken to hospital, where she is recovering.

We have issued an appeal for witnesses to this accident. Were you at Notting Hill Gate station on 31 January? Did you witness this event or have any other information you consider relevant? If so, we would like to hear from you.

Our investigation into the accident will determine the sequence of events. It will also include consideration of:

the actions of the people involved

the process of checking whether it is safe for a train to depart, including the equipment provided to enable the train operator to do this

the door control and obstacle detection system

the factors affecting the train operator’s task

any underlying management factors

Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.

We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.

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