Wednesday 8 June 2022 08:31 AM Trains on London's Elizabeth Line have fault that could cause injury, ... trends now
Dozens of trains on London’s new Elizabeth Line have faults which whistleblowers claim could injure or even kill people.
The Daily Mail can reveal that around 70 trains are fitted with metal boxes near the passenger doors, which are at risk of exploding from a build-up of gas. Insiders say the boxes’ metal doors – weighing 15lbs (7kg) – can be blown off at any moment.
They fear that such an event could cause serious injury if it were to hit someone while a train was travelling at speed past them. A door is said to have blown off one train during testing on the line last month.
The trains’ builders, Alstom, last night admitted there was a ‘potential fault’ but denied they posed a risk. It said ‘detailed risk assessments’ supported keeping the trains in service.
But an internal memo to Alstom staff reveals engineers have been warned not to go near the boxes, which contain electrical converters to power the trains, while working on carriages in depots.
The Daily Mail can reveal that around 70 trains are fitted with metal boxes near the passenger doors, which are at risk of exploding from a build-up of gas. Pictured: Moment metal box near doors explodes on an affected London Overground train
The trains’ builders, Alstom, last night admitted there was a ‘potential fault’ but denied they posed a risk. It said ‘detailed risk assessments’ supported keeping the trains in service
It says engineers walking past the devices while trains are switched on is ‘permissible if no other option is available’. It adds: ‘However, make sure you are as far away from the converter as possible, do not loiter by the converter, walk as quickly past as possible, take no longer than four seconds to pass.’
It continues: ‘If there is a choice of routes, a route not passing a converter should always be used.’
A whistleblower told the Mail:
