Extra staff deployed on Night Tube after woman falls on the tracks at Tottenham Court Road

Tube strike
PA
Ross Lydall @RossLydall9 December 2021

Extra staff are to be deployed on the Night Tube after a woman fell onto the tracks at Tottenham Court Road station.

The incident happened at around 12.45am last Saturday morning at a time when train frequencies on the Central line had fallen to about one every 30 minutes due to strike action by the RMT union.

Transport for London chiefs said the woman had suffered a “medical episode” and that initial media reports that the fall was linked to overcrowding on the platform were incorrect.

Andy Lord, managing director of London Underground, said: “She was unconscious when she left the platform – that was corroborated by at least one other customer who was a medical professional.

“The station was fully staffed. The platform was busy but there was space on the platform. There was no evidence, despite what has been reported in the media, of any pushing or shoving or anybody else being involved in the lady falling on to the track.”

Strike action over the rosters used to run the Night Tube is due to recommence on Friday evening, with drivers again walking out on the Central and Victoria lines, leading to fewer services than normal from 7pm. The RMT is planning action every weekend before Christmas.

Mr Lord said: “We are looking to put additional staff into all Central line central London stations from this Friday and Saturday night as an added measure to reassure customers going forward.”

The woman, who has not been named, was rescued by passengers and station staff, who were on scene “within 60 seconds”, Mr Lord said.

She was resuscitated and London Ambulance medics arrived within eight minutes. She was taken to Chelsea and Westminster hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

Mr Lord said he had personally viewed CCTV footage of the incident. He told the TfL board: “I don’t think there is anything to believe other than she fell because she suffered a medical episode.”

More than 20,000 passengers used Night Tube services on the Central line last Saturday – about 40 per cent of pre-pandemic numbers on the line.

Night Tube services have only resumed on two of the five lines – the Central and Victoria.

Dates for the reopening of the Northern, Piccadilly and Jubilee lines are due to be announced early next year, though services are expected to be delayed by months due to engineering work at Bank station and on the District line.

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