Jordan Aira
30 Mar 2020 · Coroner Caroline Topping · Surrey
This report repeats 4 earlier warnings, and was raised again 3 times later. See the linked reports.
The coroner's concerns
1. lack of physical boundaries at platform end
“There were no physical boundaries at the end of the platform preventing members of the public accessing the railway tracks”
2. emergency telephone location adjacent to railway track
“The emergency telephone which may be used by members of the public is located adjacent to the railway track”
3. insufficient warning signs about live rail danger
“The warning signs in place which are standard in the rail industry do not in terms warn of the risk of immediate death if you touch the live rail”
4. no national curriculum requirement on live rail risk
“There is no requirement in the national curriculum to teach pupils about the risk posed by the live rail”
Linked reports
Closely relatedConfidence 0.90 · high
Earlier report
“Recommendations in The BTP Post Fatality Report to create a safer environment”
This report
“There were no physical boundaries at the end of the platform preventing”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.90 · high
Earlier report
“Photographs of the location where the death occurred, provided by British Transport Police show that various sections of fencing and walls separating the public footpath from the railway line were broken, missing or in disrepair.”
This report
“There were no physical boundaries at the end of the platform preventing members of the public accessing the railway tracks.”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.90 · high
Earlier report
“There is a trodden path through the undergrowth from the wall to the train track, indicating that that this is a route that has been used by others to access this area.”
This report
“The emergency telephone which may be used by members of the public is located adjacent to the railway track.”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.95 · high
Earlier report
“The absence of an end of platform barrier and the existence of a live rail at ground level that might be accessible to members of the public may in my opinion create a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken”
This report
“There were no physical boundaries at the end of the platform preventing members of the public accessing the railway tracks.”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.90 · high
This report
“The warning signs in place which are standard in the rail industry do not in terms warn of the risk of immediate death if you touch the live rail”
Later report
“The railway station has an absence of signage stating the presence and risk to life of a live rail on the railway tracks which can be seen by those entering the railway station or whilst on the central part of the platform”
Closely relatedConfidence 0.85 · high
This report
“There were no physical boundaries at the end of the platform preventing members of the public accessing the railway tracks.”
Later report
“The concern here is that there is evidence to suggest that access to the railway tracks by members of the public may be a frequent issue in this vicinity.”
Identical hazardConfidence 0.90 · high
This report
“There were no physical boundaries at the end of the platform preventing members of the public accessing the railway tracks.”
Later report
“Access to the [REDACTED] from the platform is not sufficiently barred or impeded to the public.”
Responses
2020-0082-Response-from-Network-Rail_Redacted.pdf ↗· Network Rail
2020-0082-Response-from-South-Western-Railway_Redacted.pdf ↗· South Western Railways
Stated action
“SWR will continue to engage with the wider rail group from which consideration will be taken in relation to warning signage”