The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has revealed details of its upcoming investigation into the death of a passenger at Stratford station in east London.
The accident happened at around 14:45hrs on Boxing Day (Tuesday 26 December 2023). A passenger fell from a Jubilee line platform and onto the track at Stratford London Underground station.
Unlike other stations of the section of the Jubilee line that opened in 1999, Stratford's platforms do not have Platform Edge Doors (PEDs), which prevent people falling onto the track.
London Underground station staff discovered the passenger after they had remained on the track and been struck, possibly by a number of trains, causing fatal injuries.
The RAIB is a government agency with the role of looking in to railway accident with the aim of identifying measures to prevent recurrence. It has set out the terms of its investigation into this incident, stating that it will seek to clarify the sequence of events leading to the accident. It will also consider:
- the actions of people involved and anything which may have influenced them
- the management of the staff involved in the accident, including their training and competence
- the arrangements in place to manage and control the risks of such accidents
- any underlying management factors.
The RAIB investigation is separate from, and independent of, any investigation that the railway industry or the industry's regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, may carry out.
The Board will publish its findings, which may include recommendations to improve safety, once it has finished the investigation. The report will be available on the RAIB website.
