London Underground Train Rolls Away Without Driver
Posted: 13 Aug 2010, 17:03
Underground Train Rolls Away Without Driver
2:39pm UK, Friday August 13, 2010
Katie Cassidy, Sky News Online
A driverless train ran for almost four miles on the London Underground during the early morning commuter time, it has been confirmed.
The engineering train on the Northern line was allowed to roll from Archway to Warren Street station.
The incident, which happened around 6.45am on Friday, is now being investigated by London Underground (LU) and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
Transport for London (TfL) said an engineering train involved in maintenance work became defective as it approached Archway, travelling southbound on the High Barnet branch.
Engineers began to move the faulty carriage northbound by coupling it to an out of service train.
"For reasons that are now under investigation, the engineering train became detached from the out of service Northern line train and began to move southbound," a statement read.
The runaway train went through six stops on its 13-minute journey, before coming to a stop at Warren Street.
Underground staff took the decision to let the train run towards Charing Cross and diverted passenger services off the affected branch.
The workers' actions minimised the safety risk to customers and other Tube employees, according to LU director Richard Parry.
"Safety is our top priority, and we have of course launched an immediate and thorough investigation into this incident to establish the cause," he said.
"In the meantime we have prohibited the use of this design of engineering train on the Underground.
"From the start of this incident, an immediate assessment was made and operational decisions taken to minimise the safety risk to our customers and staff."
But the RMT union said it was "appalled and horrified" by the incident.
"[It] could have very easily resulted in disaster," assistant general secretary Pat Sikorski said.
"The runaway train... represents a safety failure of the highest order.
"We understand that a collision with a passenger service train leaving Archway was only narrowly avoided."
2:39pm UK, Friday August 13, 2010
Katie Cassidy, Sky News Online
A driverless train ran for almost four miles on the London Underground during the early morning commuter time, it has been confirmed.
The engineering train on the Northern line was allowed to roll from Archway to Warren Street station.
The incident, which happened around 6.45am on Friday, is now being investigated by London Underground (LU) and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
Transport for London (TfL) said an engineering train involved in maintenance work became defective as it approached Archway, travelling southbound on the High Barnet branch.
Engineers began to move the faulty carriage northbound by coupling it to an out of service train.
"For reasons that are now under investigation, the engineering train became detached from the out of service Northern line train and began to move southbound," a statement read.
The runaway train went through six stops on its 13-minute journey, before coming to a stop at Warren Street.
Underground staff took the decision to let the train run towards Charing Cross and diverted passenger services off the affected branch.
The workers' actions minimised the safety risk to customers and other Tube employees, according to LU director Richard Parry.
"Safety is our top priority, and we have of course launched an immediate and thorough investigation into this incident to establish the cause," he said.
"In the meantime we have prohibited the use of this design of engineering train on the Underground.
"From the start of this incident, an immediate assessment was made and operational decisions taken to minimise the safety risk to our customers and staff."
But the RMT union said it was "appalled and horrified" by the incident.
"[It] could have very easily resulted in disaster," assistant general secretary Pat Sikorski said.
"The runaway train... represents a safety failure of the highest order.
"We understand that a collision with a passenger service train leaving Archway was only narrowly avoided."