Baker Street Underground station entrance. Image: Wikipedia commons A15773

The London Underground has launched an inquiry into why a 3 year old child fell between a train and platform at Baker Street yesterday.

The RMT transport workers’ union says it will step up independent monitoring of crowding and safety:

RMT will obtain and release internal reports, pictures and video as the union increases the pressure in its campaign for more capacity and an end to the cuts to jobs.

The London Underground say:

An investigation is under way but it seems that while her carer’s back was turned, the girl stepped into the gap between the platform and train.

The train was stationary throughout and the girl was pulled out straight away. Our staff made sure that she was taken to hospital as a precaution.

“Baker Street tube roundel” by Oxyman/Wiikipedia commons

The Press Association reports that it has seen an internal report stating that the girl fell between the gap on platform 2 and was helped onto the platform by other passengers and station staff.

The child suffered a bruise to her forehead after her head hit the metal foot plate of the train.

It’s understood she was taken to hospital for a check-up and had been in good spirits.

The RMT have described the incident as ‘shocking.’

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

This is a shocking incident and RMT is awaiting the outcome of the investigations by the ORR. However, once again RMT warned that there were dangerous gaps between the platforms and the trains with this rolling stock. This appalling sequence of events exposes the lethal nonsense of cutting station staff on the underground network.

The voices and the warnings of staff on both rail and tube are being ignored by senior managers who we believe are engaged in an orchestrated and politically motivated cover up of the risks and the facts in pursuit of a cuts agenda. That dangerous ignorance has to stop before we have a major disaster on our hands.

Commuter congestion on the London Underground. Image: Susanturner70 Wikiepedia Commons

We have seen too often what happens when officials, politicians and authorities conspire to ignore whistle blowers and cover up the truth. RMT will fight to stop that scenario developing any further in our transport services and will step up the pressure through our own independent monitoring.

The Office of Rail Regulation is currently carrying out an inquiry into overcrowding at London Bridge while rebuilding work is being managed by Network Rail.

The RMT said train scheduling changes at London Bridge this week appeared to make no difference.

Last week a woman was rescued by the London Fire Brigade after falling onto the line at Clapham South tube station on the Northern Line.

Transport for London released an image of the platform before the incident to demonstrate that it could not have been caused by overcrowding in the station.

Platform at Clapham South shortly before woman fell between train and platform. Image: TFL