Train drama as alarm cord breaks

Rail commuters tried to halt a moving train when a door flew open - but when one of them pulled the emegency cord, it broke.

A woman passenger grabbed the cord to stop the South West Trains' Reading to Waterloo service, but the chain came came away in her hand as the train travelled between Bracknell and Ascot yesterday.

Passengers then desperately struggled to close the door before the train reached Ascot station.

Passenger Juliette Mason, 36, who pulled the cord on the 7.53am service, said: "When a door comes open, that is worrying enough. But when the emergency cord breaks you ask yourself, 'What kind of train am I on?'.

"What if another train had been going past? What if the train had been more crowded, and someone had been pushed up against the door and fallen out?"

When the train arrived at Waterloo, passengers informed the driver.

Ms Mason said: "He just said 'Why didn't you tell me about it'."

She said the incident was "typical-of the shoddy service" provided by South West Trains, "which are often dirty and delayed".

The company today apologised to customers, but said there were other options than passengers risking closing the door.

An SWT spokeswoman said: "It was unacceptable that the cord was not working, but there was another communication cord on the opposite side of the carriage.

"We would also recommend that people can go and get the guard. We have launched an investigation. The safety of our passengers is paramount."