Stalybridge Incident January 2013
An extract from the TPE website, please read it in conjunction with this incident.
Jill James, FTPE's Safety Systems Manager said,
"We want to talk about all aspects of safe travel, from arriving in good time for your train to avoiding rushing, to holding handrails on stairs and taking extra care when boarding the train".
"By simply making our passengers aware of these issues we hope to enhance their travel experience and keep them safe."
David Mulhall, FTPE's Head of Safety said,
"Safety is FTPE's number one priority and we are committed to making sure that when customers travel with us they are as safe as possible and they arrive at their destination injury free".
The following is an article from the Manchester Evening News website.
Passengers took their lives in their hands running across train tracks
when a station failed to open.
People arriving at Stalybridge Station yesterday morning found it closed,
with no access to the westbound platform where trains travelling into Manchester stop.
So when an automated announcement said the 6.34am to Manchester Airport was due to arrive, passengers jumped down on to the tracks and made their way across the rails.
They then had to haul themselves four feet back up on to the opposing
platform – just a few minutes before a non-stopping train rushed past.
Witnesses said someone could easily have been killed had they stumbled.
The station is believed to have finally opened around 7am, but services were disrupted after the people crossing were spotted.
The drama unfolded when passengers arriving at the station, which is manned by a single member of staff for the first early-morning services, found the ticket office shuttered and locked.
Doors to the westbound platform and ramp were also locked – leaving no way to get there but across the tracks. Commuter Andrew Stevenson was one of those waiting for the service to arrive and was horrified to see people crossing the rails.
Mr Stevenson, 55, who lives on Old Road, Stalybridge, said: “There were
people waiting when an automatic announcement came on, saying the train was coming".
“People actually started jumping down and walking across the tracks to get on the train. Within another five minutes a non-stopping train came through – if one of the people crossing had stumbled it would have been catastrophic.”
A spokesman for First Transpennine Express said: “Unfortunately due to the late arrival of station staff we were unable to open the station until 0700. This meant that passengers departing the 0628 arrival from Leeds were not able to exit either the platform or the station. We would like to apologise for this and reassure passengers that appropriate measures have been put in place to ensure this error does not happen again".
“However a number of passengers decided that they would cross the track and exit the station via the eastbound platform. This is a highly dangerous and illegal act. The result could have been tragic.”
Stalybridge and Hyde MP Jonathan Reynolds said: “Crossing railway tracks is extremely dangerous – and it cannot be condoned under any circumstances. It is illegal".
“However I do understand the extreme frustration felt by passengers. I have written to the company asking for an explanation of the circumstances leading up to this incident and for assurances that this cannot happen again.”
I have it on good authority that this has happened before and that TPE promised the Office of the Rail Regulator that it wouldn't happen again.
I know first hand that they lie to the ORR the proof is on this website and here they are doing the same again.
They get away with this because nobody is interested, the ORR, HMRI, UNIONS and GOVERNMENT are all a complete waste of time.
"We would like to apologise for this and reassure passengers that appropriate measures have been put in place to ensure this error does not happen again". Do you really believe this? Where was a basic risk assessment? Why did you fail to implement measures after last time? The reason being that you call staff who inform you of such things, liars.
All of this was easily preventable, should TPE require the solution then please don't hesitate to contact me, quite why your management fail once again to sort out a simple problem just highlights how poor they are, but then again this sort of thing is all over this website, why break the habit of a lifetime.
Chances of it happening again? Anybody offering odds?
WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS? TAKEN FROM THE TPE WEBSITE:
“Safety starts with us. We`re not satisfied until we`re certain its 100%”.
“and apply a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to unsafe acts and practices”.
“We are never complacent and continually strive to meet the highest possible standards of safety for our passengers and staff”.
“For example, our programme of Injury Prevention is not only innovative but unprecedented in our industry”.
“encourage good safety practices to embed the safety culture in all of our operations”.
THIS JUST PROVES THAT ANYONE CAN WRITE A FICTIONAL STORY.