[x-posted to uk.transport.london]

On Jul 17, 11:00*pm, "Zen83237" wrote:
Friend of mine was going to do night shift last night so was dressed up in
his best orange gear, when he went to get on a Bakerloo Line train, very
late I guess, he was mistaken for station staff and asked to help an old man
who was slumped in a seat. He was a Safety Engineer so knew first aid,
anyway the old guy was stone cold dead and it looked as though he had been
on the train some time.
Aren't they supposed to check at the end of the line or only when the train
is shunting do they check for people still on board?

The carriages only have to be checked when the train is about to do a
move which isn't "passenger certified" (or whatever the exact phrase
is). At the south end of the Bakerloo line, trains just reverse back
out of one of the two platforms at Elephant & Castle - so no need for
them to be checked there (plus I think stepping-back happens there at
least some of the time - though I suppose that's less likely when it's
late and the service is less frequent).

At the far north end of the Bakerloo, at Harrow & Wealdstone, tube
trains use a reversing siding, whilst further south at Queen's Park
(where a proportion of the Bakerloo services terminate) they reverse
in the carriage sheds. I've absolutely no idea whether either of these
moves are passenger certified. (I was under the impression that LU
procedures in this area are quite strictly enforced.)

FWIW, it's hardly unknown for sleeping pax to do a few laps of
Underground lines, specifically on the lines where trains reverse in
the same platform at the terminating station to head back the other
way, especially later in the evening. I certainly know a few folk
who've done this! (But not me, I hasten to add!) I think the staff
attitude when it's later in the evening often seems to be that it's
better to let sleeping dogs lie, especially if they are unresponsive
after the first attempts - not out of malice, but more because people
woken suddenly are not always in the best frame of mind (in particular
if drink is involved).

However earlier in the day I think staff might well make more of an
effort to raise a sleeping passenger, if other pax haven't done so
already. The staff technique is to gently rap some keys on the
adjacent window. There are also carriage cleaners around at the ends
of the line earlier in the day who might awaken sleeping folk.