Greater Anglia has, on Monday 4th March, sent a message out to its customers reminding them that the emergency cord is only to be used for general emergencies.
This comes after a spate of malicious acts which delayed trains by a total of nearly three days last year!
During the year of 2018, it was reported that the alarm was activated maliciously a total of 219 times, amounting up to delays of over 4000 minutes – almost three days in total!
This year, the alarm has been activated more than 20 times, with the vast majority thought to be either non-emergency or hoaxes.
When the alarm is activated, the trains emergency brakes are applied immediately and can not be overridden by the driver, who must then go back through the train to find the source of his sudden stop and reset it before the train can continue its journey.
This causes delays to other services on the same line and has a knock on effect throughout the rest of the day.
If someone feels unwell whilst onboard, the advise given it to stay on the train until the next station, where help can then be called.
In October 2017, Greater Anglia and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust agreed on a new process for their control rooms to work together to go to the aid of sick passengers as quickly as possible.
Passengers are advised not to pull the alarm but to wait until the next station where the passenger can be taken off the train and treated and medical help will arrive more quickly.
If someone becomes ill on a train and it's a life-threatening emergency, passengers should dial 999 for an ambulance. Passengers should also alert any staff on board or contact Greater Anglia via Twitter.
Anyone who witnesses the passenger alarm being activated maliciously should text British Transport Police on 61016.
What did the officials say?
Greater Anglia's Head of Safety, Security and Sustainability, Matt Wakefield, said:
The passenger alarm should only be used in an emergency.
“Recently, people have activated the alarm because they have fallen asleep and missed their stop, or because they simply want to get off the train. In one instance, a passenger pulled the cord, forced the doors open and climbed down onto the track. Not only is this very dangerous, it's also illegal.
“Pulling the passenger alarm when there is not a genuine emergency delays the train and cause knock-on delays for other services. We are working with British Transport Police and will prosecute people caught doing it. Anyone prosecuted could end up with a £1000 fine.”
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I suspect most scallywags assume the ‘communications cord’ actually just rings a bell or such in the cab that just signals to the driver, not realising that it *automatically* applies the emergency brakes. Not that it’d really make any difference, if it was ‘just’ an actual communications device then the driver would still be required to emergency brake, investigate the reason, and then wait for the brakes to recharge. The type of person who can rationalize the fact that it *will* bring the train to a stop, are the type of people unlikely to pull it as a prank.
This could be a problem when the new trains will begin service on Greater Anglia.
Plus with fare dodgers being caught without a ticket or having invalid ticket is costing Greater Anglia and the tax payer lot more money because stations don’t have automated ticket gate line.
Pulling the communication cord, in a none emergency, it is downright stupid and dangerous as well as delaying other services. The person should serve a 6 month jail term for it.