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A railway worker has been suspended after going on to train tracks in Essex to help a disabled woman who had fallen off the platform edge.

The member of platform staff at Southend Central station was one of a number of people who went to the elderly woman's aid on 28 August.

The tracks were clear by the time the next train arrived at the station.

A spokesman for train company c2c said its employee had been suspended while an investigation took place.

He said: "We have strict rules regarding the safety procedure for the quickest way of stopping trains in an emergency. An employee has been suspended while our investigation into this incident continues."

'Absolutely diabolical'

Bob Crow, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, said the decision to suspend the worker was "diabolical".

"What did they expect him to do - just stand by and watch?" he said. "All this person did was what anyone with any common sense would have done. He is one of our members and we will be supporting him. This is absolutely diabolical."

The nearest train was about a quarter of a mile away when the people were on the tracks. The driver did not have to apply emergency brakes.

An East of England Ambulance spokeswoman said paramedics were called at about 18:15 BST to treat a disabled woman, aged in her early 70s, who had fallen off the platform.

She added the woman, a wheelchair user, was taken to hospital for checks and was not critically injured.

Southend station wheelchair fall: Was woman pushed on to track?

Transport police are investigating whether a woman in a wheelchair was pushed on to railway tracks.

The 71-year-old woman from Benfleet was at Southend Central station, Essex, with a friend on 28 August when her wheelchair rolled off the platform.

A railway worker who helped rescue her was suspended amid suggestions he may have breached safety regulations by going on to the track.

The woman suffered a fractured hip in the fall.

Det Con David Bishop of British Transport Police said the woman remained at Southend General Hospital.

He said police wanted to speak to anybody who may have seen the woman fall, or seen her in the moments leading up to the incident.

The suspended member of platform staff was one of a number of people who went to the woman's aid.

'Safety procedure'

The tracks were clear by the time the next train arrived at the station.

A spokesman for train company c2c said its employee had been suspended while an investigation took place.

He said: "We have strict rules regarding the safety procedure for the quickest way of stopping trains in an emergency.

"An employee has been suspended while our investigation into this incident continues."

Bob Crow, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, said the decision to suspend the worker was "diabolical".

"What did they expect him to do - just stand by and watch?" he asked.

First thing you do is contact the signaller and get a block on all lines - all trains in the area would be stopped by signals or an emergency NRN call.

Given everything that Mr Crow preaches about safety, I am surprised he has jumped so quickly to criticise C2C.  ::)

Hang on a minute.  Isn't that prejudging what may or may not have happened.  We don't know if the staff member did call the control centre or not.

Hang on a minute.  Isn't that prejudging what may or may not have happened.  We don't know if the staff member did call the control centre or not.

To be honest I'm loathed to recommend that 0845 number considering how much they cost to call from mobiles. Upwards of 40p per minute on some networks!

The Say No to 0870 app on my phone translates the number to 020 7557 8000.  For fairly obvious reasons I have not tested it!

For speed of contacting a signaller, I wonder how well it works.

Southend station wheelchair rail rescue man reprieved

A railway worker suspended after going on to a train track to help a disabled woman who had fallen off the platform edge has been reinstated.

The customer service assistant at Southend Central station in Essex was one of a number of people who went to the elderly woman's aid on 28 August.

The Rail Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said the c2c employee would now return to work. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said it was a "victory for common sense".

The worker had faced a disciplinary hearing after suggestions he had not followed correct health and safety procedures.

The woman suffered a fractured hip in the fall.

A c2c spokesman said: "A c2c employee has returned to full duties following our investigation into the incident at Southend Central station. While the employee helped members of the public to remove the passenger from the track, he accepted his immediate duty was to ensure all trains were stopped. This is to protect the safety of all involved, including those who were already on the track aiding the passenger."

Mr Crow added: "Our member is a hero who should never have been facing the sack for saving a disabled woman from a life-threatening situation. Our member has thanked the union, his work colleagues and the public for all of their support. This incident has shown once again how important station staff are to passenger safety and security."

You are a member of platform staff who happens to know the next down train has left Station A 3 mins ago, the train journey to your station B is 4 minutes, so train due very soon, a wheelchair with person has just gone over the down platform edge, ARE you really going to run into a room and ring the Signaller whichs equals Person dead, or would you check you have time, jump down and pull wheelchair person clear of running line?

WELL what would you do?

Incidents involving a wheelchair rolling off Southend station platform on 28 August 2013 and a pushchair rolling off Whyteleafe station platform on 17 September 2013

The RAIB is investigating two similar incidents which both involved wheeled transport rolling off a station platform and onto the track. The first incident occurred at Southend Central and involved a wheelchair with an elderly occupant. The lady suffered a broken hip as a result of the fall. The second incident occurred at Whyteleafe and involved a pushchair with a young child. The child suffered only minor injuries in the accident. In neither case did a train arrive before the individuals concerned had been returned to the platform.

At 18:13 hrs on 28 August 2013 an elderly lady and her carer were escorted by a member of station staff onto the platform at Southend Central station. The wheelchair was positioned mid-way along the platform, facing the railway, awaiting the arrival of the train. The wheelchair^s parking brake was not applied and neither the carer nor the member of staff noticed it starting to move towards the railway. It then fell off the platform with the occupant still strapped inside. While passengers and a member of station staff went to assist the lady, the driver of the approaching train was called to warn him of the potential obstruction, but he had already observed passengers climbing back onto the platform and clear of the railway. The examination of the platform revealed a gradient towards the track was present in the area where the wheelchair was originally positioned.

(http://www.raib.gov.uk/cms_resources/Southend_web.jpg)
Image of platform at Southend Central station

At about 10:40 hrs on 17 September 2013, a lady with a small child and a baby in a pushchair arrived at Whyteleafe station. She stopped at the platform ticket machine, leaving the pushchair parallel with the railway while she purchased a ticket. She did not apply the hand brake on the pushchair and did not notice that it had started to roll forward. The pushchair then turned through 90 degrees and fell onto the track, narrowly missing the live conductor rail. The lady and other passengers jumped onto the track to recover the baby and pushchair. Examination of the platform identified that a gradient was present around the area where the ticket machine had been installed, both parallel with the track and falling towards it.

(http://www.raib.gov.uk/cms_resources/Whyteleafe_web.jpg)
Image of platform at Whyteleafe station

Historically, guidance on station design has indicated the desirability of gradients on platforms falling away from the track. The RAIB^s investigation will examine the circumstances under which both of these platforms had gradients sloping towards the track, and the extent to which the same situation occurs elsewhere on the railway network. It will also review the extent to which this hazard is recognised by the railway industry and the steps taken to manage the risk.

The RAIB^s investigation is independent of any investigation by the Office of Rail Regulation.

The RAIB will publish its findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of its investigation. This report will be available on the RAIB website.

Trains cancelled after car flips on to track

Trains between Caterham and Purley are currently cancelled after a car flipped on to track in the early hours of this morning.

Fire crews were called to the scene at Whyteleafe South rail station at about 4.50am after reports that the car was on the line.

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Trains remain cancelled as engineers work to remove the obstruction (picture submitted by Ian Stratton)

They attended and made the scene safe but no-one is thought to have been injured.

According to National Rail the disruption is due to last until further notice and passengers are advised to find alternative routes.

They have advised that passengers may use London buses on route 407 between Caterham and West Croydon.

Could be a lengthy job - is that badly distorted conductor rail in the middle of the picture?

UPDATE: Four men injured after car flips on to railway lines

Four men were taken to hospital after a car flipped on to its roof and landed on the tracks at Whyteleafe South rail station earlier this morning.

The men, aged between 17 and 30, were travelling in a black Vauxhall Astra on the southbound carriageway of the A22 Godstone Road before the vehicle lost control and left the road, coming to a stop on the railway line.

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Four men were injured after the car flipped on to its roof on the tracks near Whyteleafe South station (picture by Ian Stratton)

They were taken to East Surrey Hospital and St George^s Hospital, Tooting.

One of the men is said to have suffered serious injuries and remains in a serious but stable condition.

The other men suffered minor injuries.

Emergency responders from police, Surrey Fire and Rescue and South East Coast Ambulance Service attended.

Salmons Lane is currently closed for rail repairs at the junction with Godstone Road.

Police are carrying out further enquiries to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the collision and are liaising with colleagues at Network Rail and British Transport Police as part of the on-going investigation.

No other vehicles were involved.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or saw the manner of driving of the vehicle prior to the incident should call Surrey Police^s Collision Investigation Unit on 01483 639922, quoting reference P13341651, or call independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

UPDATE: Four injured as car flips and lands on railway line at Whyteleafe South

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The car landed on the railway line between Caterham and Purley (pictures by Ian Stratton)

Four men have been taken to hospital after their car flipped and landed on the railway line at Whyteleafe South.

The men were travelling in a black Vauxhall Astra southbound on the A22 Godstone Road when the vehicle lost control just before 5am.

Aged between 17 and 30, the men were taken to East Surrey Hospital and St George^s Hospital, Tooting.

One is said to have suffered serious injuries and remains in a serious but stable condition.

Southern train services are suspended between Caterham and Purley until the line is cleared.

Services will be cancelled and subject to short notice changes.

TFL Bus route 407 is accepting ticket holders between Caterham and Croydon.

Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has today released its report (http://www.raib.gov.uk/publications/investigation_reports/reports_2014/report172014.cfm) into accidents involving a wheelchair rolling onto the track at Southend Central, 28 August 2013; and a pushchair rolling onto the track at Whyteleafe, 18 September 2013. 

RAIB has made four recommendations and also identified one learning point.

18 August 2014 Last updated at 20:48
Surrey and Essex sloping platform risk 'not recognised'
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/70564000/jpg/_70564559_stations.jpg)
The fall onto the tracks of a woman at Southend (left) and a baby at Whyteleafe both happened last September

The rail industry does not recognise the danger of sloping platforms, a report into the falls of a child in a pushchair and a wheelchair user found.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) was investigating why Southend Central and Whyteleafe stations had platforms "sloping towards the track".

It found many similar incidents had been recorded as being the fault of the passengers involved.

Network Rail said it was looking at better ways of warning passengers.

A baby in the pushchair had been left parallel with the track at the Surrey station on 17 September 2013.

It "narrowly missed the live conductor rail", said an RAIB spokesman.

Broken hip

The mother and other passengers jumped onto the track to rescue the child, who was left with minor injuries.

In a similar incident in Southend in Essex, a 71-year-old woman in a wheelchair suffered a broken hip.

She had been positioned mid-way along the platform when she started to roll forward and she fell onto the track.

A worker at the station and other passengers rescued her from the line.

The RAIB recommended Network Rail and the Association of Train Operating Companies carry out work to manage the risks of platform slopes.

"The industry had not recognised the part that sloping platforms had played in the incidents," the report said.

'Identify highest risk'

The report also said the railway industry had generally recorded previous similar incidents as being due solely to errors by the people concerned.

A Network Rail spokesman said: " We are focusing on how we can tackle the issue of platform slopes and provide better warnings to passengers."

He said Whyteleafe station had been built in 1900 with the platform sloping towards the track, "probably to help water drain away".

"Network Rail is now building a database of stations with platform slopes and will use this to identify the highest risk locations and actions that we can take to reduce the risk," he said.