RMT Warned Of Overcrowding Risk Days Before Woman Dragged Under Train

Union warnings of lethal overcrowding at "death trap" tube station were ignored by underground bosses.

Tube union RMT revealed today that it formally warned underground bosses of lethal overcrowding at Clapham South station in a specially convened safety meeting last week, warnings that were ignored. That most recent warning followed previous alerts flagged up by the union over the past year about death trap overcrowding ‎at stations along sections of the Northern Line.

Yesterday, in a terrifying incident on Clapham South's overcrowded platform a woman was dragged between the platform and the train in exactly the kind of scenario RMT safety reps have been warning of.
RMT is now demanding a top level meeting on serious overcrowding and staffing issues across London's transport network in the wake of Clapham South and serious incidents at Brixton and Oxford Circus last week and the continuing chaos at London Bridge.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:
"It is frankly disgraceful that tube bosses are ignoring overcrowding warnings from RMT safety reps while passengers themselves are all over social media supporting the unions concerns.

"The terrifying incident at Clapham South yesterday, added to major issues at Brixton and Oxford Circus last week and the chaos at London Bridge, show that transport bosses are taking serious risks with life and limb as they try to squeeze a quart into a pint pot while at the same time hacking back staffing levels.

"The only solution to overcrowding on both tube and mainline ‎is more capacity, proper planning and increases in staffing levels to deliver a safe environment.

"This critical situation cannot be allowed to continue until we have a fatality on our hands. Our members know where the death traps are and where the pressures are building up and we are demanding a top level safety summit to allow us to get our safety fears addressed and dealt with and that also means an immediate halt to the job cuts. "

> RMT National News

Saturday, 31st January
RMT welcomed London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services being brought under Great British Railways on Sunday but insisted outsourced workers must not be left behind.
Friday, 30th January
Transport union RMT, will demand safe staffing and an end to lone working on the railways at an Action Against Assaults event at the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 11 February.
Tuesday, 27th January
Outsourced cleaners will strike alongside a protest at TfL’s Board meeting on 4 February, increasing pressure on Mayor Sadiq Khan over outsourcing and democratic control of the capital's transport system.
Friday, 23rd January
RMT members working on the Windrush line will take strike action in February after their employer refused to make a decent pay offer.
Wednesday, 21st January
RMT will stage a protest outside Transport for London’s Board meeting at City Hall on Wednesday 4 February as the union steps up pressure on Mayor Sadiq Khan to reclaim democratic control of TfL and bring cleaners back in-house.