The driver was reportedly dealing with personal issues when the incident happened at Norwood Junction station on July 1 last year, investigators found
A London Overground driver was distracted by his phone when a train departed Norwood Junction with a disability ramp still attached. Shortly after 9.50am on July 1 last year a station worker was forced to jump out the way after the ramp was dragged down the platform.
It eventually smashed into the station barrier and fell beside the track. A Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) probe has found the driver was “probably” distracted while making a phone call as the train departed.
Moments before, a station worker had attached the access ramp to the train while a passenger in a mobility scooter was waiting to board. While he tested the ramp the doors suddenly shut as the Overground driver prepared to leave the station.
CCTV images show the worker attempting to alert the driver before it promptly departed. The same member of station staff was then forced to avoid the moving train, while a passenger sat on a bench further up the platform moved their feet away from the ramp’s path.
Investigators found the driver’s in-cab monitor had cropped the images being shown so he was unable to see the station worker’s baton being waved in the air. The probe also found an outdated ramp was being used by station staff which allowed the doors to shut without being hindered.
The driver was operating a Windrush line train which was travelling northbound to Highbury and Islington. He was unaware the disability ramp still attached to the train had collided with the end of platform barrier until he was informed by a signaller while passing between Honor Oak Park and Brockley, the RAIB found.
He was subsequently told to proceed to New Cross Gate where passengers were told to disembark the train as it was taken out of service. Platform one at Norwood Junction station was shut for 25 minutes following the incident while Network Rail workers retrieved the ramp.
The RAIB later found the driver’s personal phone was switched on during the shift and that five phone calls of lengths between 33 seconds and 25 minutes were made or received. Investigators determined these calls were being used by the driver to deal with personal issues of a distressing nature.
He had been involved in two incidents in the year before the accident that could have also been caused by distraction. During the first in July 2024 he passed a signal at danger when he missed a danger signal appear on his monitor, prompting the train to carry out an automatic emergency stop.
An investigation found he had been distracted by a water bottle he was struggling to open. During the second incident on May 2025 he had lost concentration during a station stop and failed to slow the train down sufficiently.
The RAIB has made several recommendations to avoid similar incidents from taking place in future. These included reminding drivers about the dangers of having their mobile phones switched on, while First Rail London (which now runs the London Overground after taking over from Arriva Rail London in May 2026) is advised to better manage its disability and access ramps.
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