Locked in?

[westbound]

BBC1 news this evening. First line announces details from the attempted bombers trial in words similar to

"Alleged suicide bomber attempted to detonate device while terrified passengers were locked in the same carriage."

Those are not the exact words but the word "locked" in that context was definitely used.

People hearing that would imagine that people are LOCKED into the carriages on the tube. Total nonsense but SO typical of the media to try and convey a distortion and frighten people. And so typical of the media who have absolutely no comprehension about how railways work so resort to guessing and making scare stories.

[alstom1996]

Yeah but the media like the government only care about one thing, MONEY!

[Deleted]

westbound said:

typical of the media who have absolutely no comprehension about how railways work so resort to guessing and making scare stories.

Been going on since trains have existed I'm afraid

[jamesb]

I completely agree about the media generally.

But I think it is difficult to make a scare story out of something that was, from whatever way you look at it, very scary.

Somebody trying to detonate a bomb (that didn't explode) in a tube carriage in a tunnel would frighten me regardless of whether or not the word "locked" was used...

[westbound]

Don't get me wrong, jamesb. Nobody is disputing that it was a terrifying event (looking at that footage was enough to send a shiver down anyone's spine). My point was that even with such horrific coverage the BBC couldn't resist a little extra anti-rail falsity that the passengers were "locked" in the carriage (as if the story NEEDED any more horror!).

[Phil]

After what the Beeb did with the Barking incident nothing should surprise you. A few years ago their news was like the Times: now it's more like the Sun.

[Ben]

How true. Its a pity that even journalistic establishments that should know better have bowed to sensationalist and popularist views in an effort to 'report the peoples true views'.

[Deleted]

From my POV, they could have taken it from that because of the interlocking. As technically, if you lose the pilot light (created from interlocking), you are stuck in a tunnel, which is basically another term for lock...

[Deleted]

As I recall, passengers cannot open LU train doors unless they are released by the TO. So effectively the passengers were locked in the sense that the doors could not be opened.

But it's not clear what the Beeb thought the passengers might do if they could have opened the doors: leaving a moving tube train is not good for health.

[Chris M]

The intercar doors are not locked, so although passengers might be locked in the train, they are not locked in the carriage, which is what the BBC implied.

[Deleted]

But there are signs, don't go through the doors unless yer told!

[setttt]

hardcastle said:

But there are signs, don't go through the doors unless yer told!

I think you'll find said signs say nothing of the sort.

[Tubeboy]

The sign says, only to use the doors in an emergency.

[cdr113]

westbound said:

Those are not the exact words but the word "locked" in that context was definitely used.

Surely by mis-quoting you are lowering yourself to the level of the journalists you are openly criticising?

[Chris M]

tubeboy said:

The sign says, only to use the doors in an emergency.

I think that someone detonating (or attempting to detonate) a bomb in the carriage constitutes an emergency

[Tubeboy]

I was referring to the sign Chris, not the situation, obviously the interconnecting doors should have been used in this instance.

[Deleted]

I have horrible images in my mind of people getting trapped as two or more barge their way through what is a very narrow doorway, which opens towards them, in the midst of it all the lady with the buggy, and possibly, heaven forbid, a blind person and guide dog. Not to mention it all lurching about and somebody slips.....

On top of that the blast and flames would follow through the doorway.

Sorry to be melodramatic, but basically they are locked in, certainly in ruch hour as there would be nowhere to go.

John

[Deleted]

The same could be said of any train. Or bus. Or pretty much any crowded place.

[westbound]

cdr 113, I must admit that you have a point!

[ongarparknride]

General point arising: Would the Train Operator receive any cab warning if a car connecting door was opened? On any stock?

cheers
OngarParkNRide

[jamesb]

The advertisements at the top of the thread advertise locksmiths - that's very clever ;D ;D although probably a bit impractical for the situation described...

[setttt]

ongarparknride said:

General point arising: Would the Train Operator receive any cab warning if a car connecting door was opened? On any stock?

Nope!

[bwhughes]

How do you open the carriage end doors?

When I have been on tube stock (was it the 72TS?) I could not see any form of handle to open the connecting door (or the handle had been removed and was replaced by a lock)!

This worried me a little as to whether passengers could get to the other end of the train after a bombing attack without the driver having to unlock anything.

How are they opened? By a catch underneath a hollow part of the door?

[Deleted]

what car were you in... what was the other end looking like.

in Driving Motors (i.e. with a cab) the door has not window and the handle is only for emergencies to give the driver some protection and privacy.

[Deleted]

jamesb said:

The advertisements at the top of the thread advertise locksmiths - that's very clever ;D ;D although probably a bit impractical for the situation described...

Google ads looks for key words this thread. The word LOCK has appeared hence the links. The companies pay Google for their websites to be linked to certain key words.

Fairly clever, and keeps the forum free.

[ongarparknride]

Thanks for the reply, and Cheers, Seth.

[Deleted]

If the car end is a driving cab, there is a piece of glass that must be smashed to access the emergency open handle. Other cab ends just have a door with a regular door handle (they often take a bit of welly to open, though!)

Neither are recommended unless in immediate danger, or at request of staff. Using them when the train is moving is particularly dangerous, hence the signs.

[thomas]

Isn't there a switch for the passengers to unlock a door in an emergency?
There must be one on each door here, but then of course we don't have power lines on the rails.

[Deleted]

Passengers can open the inter car doors by use of the handle, they can also exit through the drivers cab door, called the J door here, in an emergency, by either pulling off a little plastic cover over the handle, or breaking a small glass box, again, covering the handle... The Train Operator would get a warning, by message on a computer monitor [at least on the newer stock] if the J door at the back is opened....

[connextrain]

If there was a bomb between carriges (not saying there is) how would the passangers get out? They wouldn't, so the news report is right.