Passenger dragged by scarf in train door at Holborn

[user15681]

As for alarms, positioning is very much the key in some situations. Imagine if you are on a crowded Victoria Line train and you notice an incident, but are at the opposite doorway from an alarm. By the time you've made yourself understood and had it used, things will have gone from bad to worse. But even so, people in a blind panic might not even think to use an alarm, despite the colour contrasts and prominent signage. This is of course why staff vigilance is key, and reliable detection systems & effective cameras must continue to be rolled out.

I use the Victoria line twice a day, every day, and yet the alarms confuse me still. Am I right in thinking the speakers are on the opposite side to the alarm? Still, at least the doors on the 09 stock will detect something in them... perhaps too well, as was evident at the start!

 

[Dieseldriver]

At certain airport stations, staff are known to be advised to watch out for the especially notable danger from skiing equipment bags, in case a lot of people arrive with them at once, and one or more end up overhanging the platform edge - they could easily be caught by trains, which could drag people underneath, or receive serious damage even if that doesn't happen. It goes to show that even fairly innocuous objects can pose major risks if they are not watched out for.

Other than trains actually hitting luggage, I agree the main risk is turbulence or the doors catching personal possessions, or else (probably more prominently) the turbulence of a passing train making you lose your balance.

As for alarms, positioning is very much the key in some situations. Imagine if you are on a crowded Victoria Line train and you notice an incident, but are at the opposite doorway from an alarm. By the time you've made yourself understood and had it used, things will have gone from bad to worse. But even so, people in a blind panic might not even think to use an alarm, despite the colour contrasts and prominent signage. This is of course why staff vigilance is key, and reliable detection systems & effective cameras must continue to be rolled out.

It always amazes me how many people will stand near the platform edge with luggage overhanging whilst I'm pulling in!

 

[tsr]

I use the Victoria line twice a day, every day, and yet the alarms confuse me still. Am I right in thinking the speakers are on the opposite side to the alarm? Still, at least the doors on the 09 stock will detect something in them... perhaps too well, as was evident at the start!

It certainly sounds a bit more muffled where there isn't a live alarm panel - at least to me. I'll have to listen properly next time. Like you, I use the Victoria Line very often indeed, but I guess I'm just used to it.

More confusingly, sometimes the alarms are triggered twice before the door closes - whilst I realise this is probably not a deliberate design feature, and may theoretically be "fail-safe", it could lead people to misjudge how much time they think they have in future, or just ignore them as random tones.

It always amazes me how many people will stand near the platform edge with luggage overhanging whilst I'm pulling in!

It's odd as, in reality, I don't usually see anything quite that extreme with luggage, but rather more often with people, which is always scarier. I have had to call out to people fairly regularly (and in at least one recent case I can recall, on a platform on a ~100mph mainline, physically pull an oblivious person back from the white line) when they've been unaware of the fact that they've been standing way too close to the platform edge and very nearly come into contact with trains passing at high speed. Weirdly, it generally seems to be on quieter platforms where people are milling around and not paying much attention to their surroundings. Vigilance seems to be better if it's busy/crowded, because the general public always seem to believe that any railway overcrowding is dangerous*. The exception to this can be Tube stations, though I use the Tube an awful lot, and yet it's rarer for me to see a driver sound a horn/whistle or end up approaching someone who doesn't move the few inches out of the way in time. My previous post mentioned risks of overcrowding and luggage. I stand by what I said, but the issue almost seems to be worse in quieter areas!

All this is aside from the incident(s) of being caught in the doors, as those happened, but seem to be less indicative of overall trends/behaviour/risks, in my fairly extensive experience of railway user habits around Great Britain.

Disclaimer: Experiences do vary massively by location and human behaviour is likely to be unpredictable.

*As indeed station/platform overcrowding is. Onboard, I'd usually say it is somewhat less so, except in fires.

 

[user15681]

It certainly sounds a bit more muffled where there isn't a live alarm panel - at least to me. I'll have to listen properly next time. Like you, I use the Victoria Line very often indeed, but I guess I'm just used to it.

More confusingly, sometimes the alarms are triggered twice before the door closes - whilst I realise this is probably not a deliberate design feature, and may theoretically be "fail-safe", it could lead people to misjudge how much time they think they have in future, or just ignore them as random tones.

Indeed. I think I'm so used to them that I no longer pay attention and I've forgotten the exact details about the alarms. Fortunately I've never had to use, or seen in use, the Passcom.

 

[Dstock7080]

As built '09 Stock had 2 passenger alarms per door vestibule and a low-level one by the wheelchair space.
These were exposed round red buttons.
Just before the Olympics the door vestibule alarms were reduced to 1 on one side only, the others being platted over.
A further modification has seen a cover added over the button to further prevent misuse. On '09s you need to slide the spring-loaded cover across then push the button, usually with the other hand.
S Stock maintain the red round buttons which are slowly receiving covers.
Most other Stock have emergency handles now protected by a spring-loaded lift up flap.

Once beyond station limits '09 & S Stock will allow the train to continue to the next station only providing an alarm to the driver.
On other Stock an emergency brake will initially apply but the driver has an override to be able to take the train to the next station where assistance can be more readily available.