A London commuter has told how he blacked out and suffered concussion after allegedly being shoved to the floor on a packed train.
James Winder said he fell to the train floor and banged his head after passengers on the crowded rush-hour commuter train began pushing and jostling for space.
The IT worker, 35, told the Standard he was left with blurred vision, slurred speech, neck pains and “a constant splitting headache” after the fall on the London Midland train to Euston last Thursday morning.
“I take a London Midland train to work every morning and every evening,” he said.
“On the morning the train was dangerously overcrowded, it was just a free for all of people pushing and fighting to get on.
“Shortly after boarding someone pushed me and I fell over one of the bikes hitting my head. I got up but was pushed over again hitting my head very hard and blacking out for a moment, I also smashed my iPhone screen.”
Mr Winder took himself to hospital near his workplace where he was told to take time off work and rest up.
“The whole thing has also left me incredibly stressed out and anxious about getting on these dangerous trains again,” he said.
“Since the incident I have been off work. I still have a concussion, blurred vision, slurred speech and difficulty getting my balance, as well as a constant splitting headache and pains in my neck.”
Mr Winder, who was on the 8.58am train from his hometown of Apsley, near Hemel Hempstead, when the accident happened, is calling on London Midland to replace his expensive iPhone which broke when he fell.
“My very expensive phone which I need for work, ended up with a broken screen and a large chip smashed off it,” he said.
“When I wrote to London Midland I said that all I wanted as compensation for this terrible accident was my phone to be replaced. All they sent back was this generic letter.”
He added: “The people of London should not have to risk serious injury just to get to work.”
A spokesman for London Midland said: “We are taking this report very seriously and a thorough investigation is underway.
“The safety and security of our customers and colleagues is our number one priority.”
