Four drivers have admitted falling asleep at the controls of trams in Croydon, where seven people died in a derailment last year.

The drivers told the BBC that they had fallen asleep while operating trams, with one alleging that irregular shift patterns caused fatigue. Drivers also claimed the dead man’s handle, a failsafe device designed to apply the brakes if the driver is incapacitated, did not appear always to stop the vehicles.

The firm running the line, Tram Operations, part of First Group, said it monitored drivers for fatigue and that the trams’ controls were fully functional.



Seven passengers died and 51 were injured after a tram came off the tracks as it sped through a sharp bend in the early morning of 9 November. An inquiry by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch is ongoing.

Interim reports said the tram was travelling at 46mph in a 12.5mph speed limit zone before it crashed. The driver of the tram was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

The RAIB said its investigation had “not indicated any malfunction of the tram’s braking system” and there was a suggestion “that the driver had lost awareness” that he was approaching a sharp curve.

The BBC investigation, for the Victoria Derbyshire programme, found that at least three trams had since been recorded exceeding the limit on the same line. Other footage has shown a driver apparently asleep for around 30 seconds while in the cab of a moving tram.

One driver said colleagues were afraid to report problems with the safety device because they feared being disciplined for falling asleep. “You’re asking somebody to come forward and admit to something that could cost them their job,” the driver said.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, ordered Transport for London to urgently investigate all of the claims made in the BBC’s report. A spokesperson said: “TfL respond to any complaint that is raised and actively encourage customers and staff to report any concerns them may have directly to them.”

Other London politicians said Tram Operations’ contract should be reviewed. Caroline Pidgeon, a Liberal Democrat London Assembly member, said: “It is now time to consider whether the current company are fit to run this important contract given these serious safety issues.”

A spokesperson for Tram Operations said: “We take all allegations of incidents such as these very seriously. We have procedures in place for driver support and welfare including monitoring for potential fatigue. We emphasise to employees that no one should drive if they are unfit to do so. If there are any reports of issues with the performance of the trams, these are investigated as a priority.”