Attention, gap: Clapham Junction is the most dangerous station

Giuliana Rossi was on her way to see “A Christmas Carol” at the Old Vic when the incident occurred on November 15, 2023.

When she boarded a train at platform 10 at Clapham Junction station, she misjudged the large distance between the train and the platform.

She caught her foot and fell into the carriage, breaking two legs and injuring her shoulder.

“One moment I was standing, and the next I fell,” she said.

“Normally, trains have a small edge to make boarding easier, but this train didn’t have one.

“The slope was about a foot, if not more, and the width of the gap was just as wide.”

The consequences for Giuliana Rossi were very serious.

Due to her injuries, two plates had to be inserted into her knee.

Giuliana spent a month in hospital and still has to walk with a cane. She continues to do physiotherapy.

She is very clear and blames the large distance between the train and the platform.

“The railway system in our country is to blame.

“I found the loophole instead of dealing with it. We need to do something to make our railways safe.”

“The rail systems here are outdated. We have 19th century infrastructure in the 21st century. It’s time we addressed it.”

Giuliana says there were no announcements warning passengers to watch out for the gap and the signage was worn.

“There were no warnings. There were no announcements. The signage on the floor of the platform was very, very worn. It was not visible. There were just patterns painted in yellow, but there were no ‘Mind the Gap’ signs.”

She says she has received no apology or compensation from South Western Railway or Network Rail, which own the platform.

She is angry and upset about the dangerousness of the transport system and describes Clapham Junction as the most dangerous station in the country because of the gaps on the platforms.

She has attempted to take legal action, but her lawyers have told her the chances of success are slim.

She says someone else will be seriously injured at Clapham Junction: “I’m not an engineer, but I’m sure we’ll come up with something in the 21st century.”

“If we don’t fix the problem, someone else will definitely get hurt.

“I’m very angry because this shouldn’t have happened. I hadn’t even had anything to drink. It’s crazy.”

When I asked her if she thought Clapham Junction was one of the most dangerous train stations in the country, she replied, “Absolutely.”

Figures from Network Rail show that 20.7 million people enter or leave the station each year and a further 19 million use it to change trains.

It further stated that there were 29 injuries at the station in 2022-23.

Network Rail said it had apologised to Ms Rossi.

It continues: “We are very aware of the large gaps between trains and some platforms at Clapham Junction and other stations in the region.”

“We manage this together with our railway companies through passenger information, for example through ‘Mind the Gap’ signs and announcements. Mobility assistance can also be requested if required.

“We are starting to develop a plan for the station to address the worst platforms in the future, but there are no dates yet and funding still needs to be secured.

“If major repairs are required on any of the platforms in the meantime, we will try to use this opportunity to reduce the gap wherever possible.”

South Western Railway said passenger safety was its top priority and regretted that Ms Rossi was injured while boarding a train.

It continued: “Following the incident, our safety teams conducted a comprehensive investigation which included a review of CCTV footage, witness statements and Ms Rossi’s own briefing of the Clapham Junction paramedic team who arrived on the scene approximately five minutes after the incident.”

“Our investigation revealed that Ms. Rossi unfortunately tripped and fell as she ran toward a customer standing in front of her.

“There is no evidence that the distance between the train and the platform played a role in this incident. It is also noteworthy that the train had not yet been dispatched at that time.

“Our colleagues at Clapham Junction helped Ms Rossi leave the station and provided her with a taxi to a nearby hospital. Network Rail subsequently contacted Ms Rossi twice and apologised.

“We hope that Ms. Rossi recovers well from the incident.”

According to safety guidelines, new platforms should not have a horizontal clearance of more than 27.5 cm (10.8 inches) and a vertical clearance of more than 23 cm (9 inches).

However, the Rail Safety and Standards Board regulations only apply to new stations. The older Ealing Broadway platform is therefore not covered by the regulations. The regulations do not apply.

Giuliana Rossi contacted BBC London to raise awareness of the issue. Three passengers contacted the BBC after being seriously injured while using the Elizabeth Line on Ealing Broadway in west London.

Lucy Daramola told BBC London she was knocked unconscious and hospitalized after cutting her shins while boarding the train in July 2022. She blames the height of the precipice and says someone could be killed at that spot.

At the same location on platform 4, two other passengers were seriously injured.

Transport for London (TfL) and Network Rail, which owns the platforms, have both said they are “sorry” that some passengers were injured and that their safety is a “priority”. They say they are looking into what can be done to close the gap.