Dog Fell Between Platform and Train.

[Eric]

I've just witnessed the most unfortunate accident.

An elderly lady was attempting to board the train with her dog and the dog went under between the platform and the train.

The driver immediately raised the alarm with whoever was at control, but before they could stop the trains in both directions, it was hit by a service that was not scheduled to stop on the opposite line.

Has anyone heard of this happening before?

I feel sorry for the elderly lady, but surely she should have picked the dog up and carried it on the train.

 

[hexagon789]

I've just witnessed the most unfortunate accident.

An elderly lady was attempting to board the train with her dog and the dog went under between the platform and the train.

The driver immediately raised the alarm with whoever was at control, but before they could stop the trains in the opposite direction it was hit by a service that was not scheduled to stop.

Has anyone heard of this happening before?

A sad incident, I'm sure there was a similar incident a few years ago but can't recall when or where, in that incident I think the owner was able to the dog back up by the lead.

 

[AlterEgo]

Was the dog not on a lead?

 

[ComUtoR]

I have had it happen to me twice. Dogs both thankfully rescued.

 

[backontrack]

How very sad.

R.I.P. poor dog, and my thoughts to the poor woman, too.

 

[Eric]

A sad incident, I'm sure there was a similar incident a few years ago but can't recall when or where, in that incident I think the owner was able to the dog back up by the lead.

The dog dropping down caused her to lose the lead. It was moving under the carriage for a good minute with the owner frantically shouting for the dog to jump up from in front of the train.

Unfortunately the service that was coming in the opposite direction clipped it.

R.I.P. poor dog.

 

[Eric]

Was the dog not on a lead?

Yes, but the dog dropping down onto the tracks caused her to lose it.

Out of interest, how long would it take for the message that there's a dog on the line in the station to get to any trains approaching?

 

[hexagon789]

R.I.P. poor dog.

Poor dog indeed, very sad incident

 

[ComUtoR]

Out of interest, how long would it take for the message that there's a dog on the line in the station to get to any trains approaching?

Seconds; if done properly.

 

[rebmcr]

Seconds; if done properly.

This would presumably be considered an appropriate use of the REC button?

 

[ComUtoR]

Press button, stop all trains. Easily done.

 

[LOL The Irony]

NOOOOO! Poor Doggo

 

[Ianno87]

Split thread; for discussion of road incidents, see: Hitting dogs (and other animals) and emergency stops on the roads

Whether a similar logic applies to trains I don't know. I guess:
a) There is probably minimal risk (derailment) to a train of hitting a small animal like a dog, but on the other hand...
b) The biggest risk to safety of putting the road back on a driver is possibly passengers on the train being flung over by the emergency stop; no train behind is going to hit beacause of the signalling protection. Sadly, the bigger impact is likely to be the £££ of the resulting delay minutes. Of course, if the dog is not removed, there is also the risk that the owner, or other willing individual, unexpectedly enters the track without suitable protection to try and retrieve the dog. In which case, signals to red most definitely would be necessary.

 

[Highlandspring]

This would presumably be considered an appropriate use of the REC button?

No. We don’t caution for domestic animals either unless there is definite information that someone has gone on the line to retrieve them.

 

[AlterEgo]

Yes, but the dog dropping down onto the tracks caused her to lose it.

Out of interest, how long would it take for the message that there's a dog on the line in the station to get to any trains approaching?

Oh dear poor old woman probably lost a good friend.

 

[45rpm]

I once witnessed a guide dog fall under a stationary train at Doncaster. Im`m not sure how it became separated from its owner but thankfully the train wasn`t scheduled to depart for some time & quick-thinking station staff quickly reunited dog & owner.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Something similar happened a few years ago at Morley where someones dog had got onto the line, the owner went on to the line but was sadly killed, the dog suvived.

The crossing was closed a few months after the incident, near to where the incident happened a rememberance garden and table was errected and is still there now, but its a bit overgrown.

 

[TheEdge]

This would presumably be considered an appropriate use of the REC button?

No, no reason to use the REC button for a dog, unless there was a person also on the line looking for a dog. You might phone the signaller just to let them know, in case they deemed in necessary to warn the next train, again, in case an owner has appeared.

But no use of the REC.

 

[SPADTrap]

I disagree that it isn't an appropriate use of the GSM-R 'Red Button' to make an emergency call. Without fail, every single dog on the line incident I have witnessed from my cab there has been a human or number of humans on the line attempting to retrieve it. 'REC' (Railway Emergency Call) every time. That and I am a dog owner. I wouldn't press it upon merely seeing a dog on the line but I'd not be worried about doing so if people appeared.

 

[Dieseldriver]

No. We don’t caution for domestic animals either unless there is definite information that someone has gone on the line to retrieve them.

I would have no qualms about using the REC button in this scenario. A platform full of people including a distraught owner? The area needs to be made safe *before* someone jumps onto the line to try and rescue the dog. Once they've jumped down, the situation has already become gravely dangerous.

 

[Antman]

I witnessed a similar incident at the old Rochester station a few years ago when something similar happened although the dog was retrieved and was none the worse for it. Surely dogs should always be on a lead.

 

[rich r]

Surely dogs should always be on a lead.

It was on a lead. But when anything larger than a small terrier drops a metre off the edge of a platform, the force is likely to pull the lead out of the owner's hand. Yes, if you're expecting that the dog might fall you could loop the lead round your wrist, but then there's the risk of it breaking its neck if it does.
I'm always very wary when I have my dogs near trains or roads despite them being generally well trained and having good common sense around large fast moving vehicles. However you can't plan for everything, just like horse riders are often thrown when the horse spooks at a tree it's walked past hundreds of times.

There's not a lot you can do in situations like this, it's a thankfully rare one.

 

[Antman]

It was on a lead. But when anything larger than a small terrier drops a metre off the edge of a platform, the force is likely to pull the lead out of the owner's hand. Yes, if you're expecting that the dog might fall you could loop the lead round your wrist, but then there's the risk of it breaking its neck if it does.
I'm always very wary when I have my dogs near trains or roads despite them being generally well trained and having good common sense around large fast moving vehicles. However you can't plan for everything, just like horse riders are often thrown when the horse spooks at a tree it's walked past hundreds of times.

There's not a lot you can do in situations like this, it's a thankfully rare one.

In the incident I witnessed at Rochester the dog wasn't on a lead although the owner acknowledged that it should have been. Certainly I'd be very cautious, particularly on a curved platform, getting on or off trains with pets or children.

 

[rich r]

In that case then yes, it should have been.

 

[LowLevel]

I would have no qualms about using the REC button in this scenario. A platform full of people including a distraught owner? The area needs to be made safe *before* someone jumps onto the line to try and rescue the dog. Once they've jumped down, the situation has already become gravely dangerous.

I agree - I've been working several trains where I've had to deal with a rather upset driver having nearly taken out both dog and human. On one occasion they vaulted the barriers at a CCTV crossing to try and grab a dog that was loose. That resulted in an emergency brake application.

People tend to go into the hero mentality that you see on the news occasionally. While I obviously can't say 'crack on' for a human I can certainly see why you might try and rescue one that has fallen off a platform. A dog is an unpredictable creature and in most circumstances where humans try to save dogs that make the news the dog survives but the human doesn't.

 

[rebmcr]

I witnessed a similar incident at the old Rochester station a few years ago when something similar happened although the dog was retrieved and was none the worse for it. Surely dogs should always be on a lead.

It was on a lead. But when anything larger than a small terrier drops a metre off the edge of a platform, the force is likely to pull the lead out of the owner's hand. Yes, if you're expecting that the dog might fall you could loop the lead round your wrist, but then there's the risk of it breaking its neck if it does.
I'm always very wary when I have my dogs near trains or roads despite them being generally well trained and having good common sense around large fast moving vehicles. However you can't plan for everything, just like horse riders are often thrown when the horse spooks at a tree it's walked past hundreds of times.

There's not a lot you can do in situations like this, it's a thankfully rare one.

I always have my dog's lead attached to a shoulder harness rather than a collar. She's also a small (3.5kg) Pomeranian so can actually be picked up by the lead if anything requires quick intervention (glass, iffy-looking discarded food, etc.). On that basis I'm happy for her to board & alight herself (keeping a close eye), but I would probably carry a bigger dog, or at least grab its collar directly.

 

[TUC]

My wife had her guide dog fall down the gap whilst getting off the train. Thankfully the dog immediately leapt back onto the platform but it was a scary moment for all concerned.

 

[Nick66]

Slightly off-topic but I saw the most amazing thing a couple of weeks ago on the tube. There was a blind lady sitting with a guide dog sitting calmly under her legs. When the announcement said the next station is Victoria the dog jumped up and that is where the lady wished to alight.

 

[backontrack]

Slightly off-topic but I saw the most amazing thing a couple of weeks ago on the tube. There was a blind lady sitting with a guide dog sitting calmly under her legs. When the announcement said the next station is Victoria the dog jumped up and that is where the lady wished to alight.

My word, that's amazing!

 

[SPADTrap]

Slightly off-topic but I saw the most amazing thing a couple of weeks ago on the tube. There was a blind lady sitting with a guide dog sitting calmly under her legs. When the announcement said the next station is Victoria the dog jumped up and that is where the lady wished to alight.

She probably heard it too?