[incident] 4/7/2011 - 8:17 Maynooth Pearse

[Mark Gleeson]

We have eyewitness reports that a passenger was dragged down the platform of Coolmine station this morning

The passenger boarded the last carriage last door while the door was closing and the passengers hand became trapped in the door.

The train moved off with the hand still attached to the door

Train stopped after approximately 40m.

There is a report of blood splatted over the floor of the train

The matter has been referred to the Rail Safety Commission

[Inniskeen]

We have eyewitness reports that a passenger was dragged down the platform of Coolmine station this morning

The passenger boarded the last carriage last door while the door was closing and the passengers hand became trapped in the door.

The train moved off with the hand still attached to the door

Train stopped after approximately 40m

There is a report of blood splatted over the floor of the train

The matter has been referred to the Rail Safety Commission

If the passenger had boarded the train, how was he/she dragged along the platform ?

[Mark Gleeson]

The hand became trapped as they try to board and ended up feet on platform, hand jammed in door.

Several witnesses to the train stopping immediately after departing Coolmine

[Jamie2k9]

As one of the doors was not closed fully would the driver not know this and why would he move the train.

[Mark Gleeson]

The train should not move is any door is not fully closed

Secondly the door should reopen automatically if it detects an obstruction

[Inniskeen]

People should understand that door interlocks will detect most obstructions but for reliability reasons might not be sufficiently sensitive to detect a hand. However, should a door close on a hand the rubber seals are sufficiently flexible to enable it to be withdrawn with relative ease. Mind you if the hand is holding a briefcase (which is inside the train) then hand and briefcase may have to part company in these circumstances. A secondary check on whether or not it is safe to depart presumeably involves the driver checking to ensure there is nobody standing inside the yellow line. At the end of the day passengers should act responsibly and take cognisance of their own safety.

[Mark Gleeson]

It happened and it shouldn't have happened

Rules say anything above 25mm should trigger the obstacle detection, anything less should be "easily removable"

You can't see the 7/8th coaches from the Dublin end of the Dublin bound platform. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Coolmine+Station,+Clonsilla,+Ireland&hl=en&ll=53.377565,-6.392283&spn=0.003366,0.008701&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=70.852019,142.558594&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=53.377492,-6.392273&panoid=siYjgim7YbpWoQDjD6v-tQ&cbp=12,81.68,,0,5.07

The emergency signal to stop a train at a platform is to face front and raise both hands straight in the air

[Inniskeen]

Are the cameras not working at Coolmine ?

[Mark Gleeson]

The RSC are investigating following several complaints so we shall know what really happened.

It might be turned over to the RAIU for a more formal inquiry.

[ThomasJ]

I was thinking of that myself. i was getting a train at coolmine the other day and they were working.

That sounds so painful thinking of it but its even more worrying it took someone to pull the emergency handle to get the train to stop

[ColmmacO]

There is a letter from the person who got caught in the door in todays metro. According to them their finger got caught in the door, and the blood in the carriage was from the hand of the person who activated the emergency stop.

Someone might be able to post the letter as a pdf...my web access is blocking the online edition.

[Mark Gleeson]

Read it this morning, there are two letters which are conflicting in there description of the events

1382

It does confirm, time location and someone being trapped in the door by the hand though

It does sound like someone used the emergency door open break glass as distinct from the passenger communication alarm. The door break glass will result in an immediate brake application, the passenger communication alarm does not directly stop the train.