Two women dragged along by Tube trains after coats got stuck in doors

Safety recommendations have been made following the incident on the Northern Line

Two women were injured when their coats got trapped in Tube doors, an investigation has found.

In one incident in February, a 101-year-old woman had to be treated for serious injuries when she was dragged along the platform on the Northern line at Archway.

She was getting off the train with a companion at around 3.50pm when the door closed, trapping her jacket.

She was dragged along the platform for two metres before she and her companion fell to the ground, yanking the coat free.

The train continued for another 20 metres before stopping after passengers pulled the alarm and the driver, who had already realised what had happened, applied the emergency brakes.

A report from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch found that systems in the door did not detect a blockage in the door.

The RAIB has set out a series of recommendations to improve safety on London Underground after hearing about a second incident two months later.

In that case, again on the Northern Line but at Chalk Farm, a woman’s coat got stuck when she tried to get on the train as the doors were closing.

This was the view of the doors when the ‘close’ button was pressed (Picture: TfL)

The view of the elderly passenger was obscured by other passengers (Picture: TfL)

Again, the door did not detect the presence of the trapped coat. She was dragged 20 metres along the platform before the zip ripped off the jacket.

The driver was not aware of what had happened so continued to the next station.

She sustained minor injuries to her elbow and both knees and suffered psychological distress.

The automatic train operating system may have contributed to both accidents, the RAIB said.

The system means the driver opens and closes the train doors, but the train is driven automatically.

The woman was stretchered out of the station before being taken to hospital (Picture: TfL)

A picture of the incident at Chalk Farm where a woman was dragged for 20 metres (Picture: TfL)

In 2018, a 78-year-old woman was dragged under a train at Notting Hill Gate when her coat got stuck.

But she was unable to free herself and was pulled into the tunnel, despite being helped by others, accident investigators said.

Passengers who saw the woman in distress activated emergency alarms on the Central line train, and the driver applied the brakes.

In other tube-related news, a manhunt has been launched after a woman was pushed down the stairs and punched in the face at an east London Overground station.

Police released images of a man after a woman was pushed down the stairs before she was punched in the face.

The attack happened at Leytonstone High Road Overground station on June 2 at about 8.30pm.

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