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Train door 'ripped from hinges' in Bangor tunnel

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77922000/jpg/_77922573_elunedparrott_train.jpg)
Liberal Democrat AM Eluned Parrott shows a picture of the damaged train in the assemby chamber

An investigation is under way after a train door was reportedly ripped from its hinges as it went through a tunnel.

No-one was hurt in the incident involving Monday's 0533 Holyhead to Cardiff Central service in Bangor at around 06:00 BST.

Rail operator Arriva Trains Wales said a "thorough investigation" had been launched.

The Rail Accident Investigation Board (RAIB) has also been informed.

Arriva Trains Wales said the door was found to be missing at Penmaenmawr.

Passengers were moved to the back of the train and the affected section was locked out of use before the train carried on to Llandudno Junction where it was taken out of service for examination.

Raising the issue in the assembly chamber on Tuesday, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Minister Eluned Parrott called on the Welsh government to urgently review train carriages in Wales to ensure they were safe for use.

"If passengers or staff had been standing in the area at the time of the incident - a common occurrence on our overcrowded trains - the consequences could have been far worse," she said.

In reply, Finance Minister Jane Hutt said control of railway rolling stock was not devolved but said the AM had highlighted "a very serious incident" which needed to be brought to the attention of the UK Department for Transport.

From the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-29433182):

Is that service packed at 6am? Or have we a politician's exaggeration? Still serious though.

I wonder if this would be investigated by the RAIB?

Scope of accidents and incidents investigated

The scope of RAIB^s work is set out in the Act and we are mandated to investigate any serious railway accident, as defined in the Regulations (Regulation 2(3)), which occurs on a railway, as defined by the Transport and Works Act 1992. This covers:
- the national railway networks in Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- the Channel Tunnel (in co-operation with our equivalent operation in France)
- the London and Glasgow Underground systems and other metro systems
- tramways
- heritage railways (including narrow-gauge systems over 350mm gauge)
- cable-hauled systems of 1km or longer.

In this context, a serious accident means an accident involving a derailment or collision of rolling stock which has an obvious impact on railway safety regulation or management of safety and results in either:
- the death of at least one person
- serious injuries to five or more persons, or
- extensive damage to rolling stock, the infrastructure or the environment.

There is no requirement to investigate these accidents if they fall outside of RAIB^s general aim to improve the safety of railways and to prevent railway accidents and incidents.

Importantly, the Act provides for RAIB to investigate other accidents and incidents occurring on railway property that are or may be relevant to the operation of the railway, and where we believe there may be significant safety lessons to be learnt which could improve the safety of railways.

RAIB does not investigate:
- worker accidents/incidents that are not associated with train movements and which are not relevant to the operation of the railway
- accidents/incidents involving trespassers or suicides, or
- accidents/incidents that occur within an industrial curtilage, unless it involves a train carrying passengers.

Being loco hauled I assumme that the Central Door Locking does not interface with the loco as it would on a Multiple Unit.

Back to doors falling off trains...