London Tube platforms with the biggest gaps revealed after 500 injuries in a year
The iconic ‘mind the gap’ warning is needed on the London Underground as hundreds of passengers fell between the platform and Tube trains last year.
Most Londoners might not pay attention to the familiar Tube announcement, but there is a good reason for it as several platforms boast sizeable gaps.
Last year, 522 customers were injured in passenger train interface (PTI) incidents, the official name for when people fall between the carriage and platform. There were a total of 1,893 incidents last year, and in the past five years, six people have died after falling in, according to TfL figures.
Sarah de Lagarde lost her right arm and leg after she was struck by two trains at High Barnet station when she fell in before she was rescued.
Lord Blunkett, who is blind, slammed ‘death trap’ platforms after injuring himself in a fall last year while out with his guide dog.
Here are the top five Tube stations featuring the biggest gaps.
Bank
Bank station platforms are thought to have some of the largest gaps in the Tube network, according to rail researcher Mike Horne reported on Metadyne.
The gap on the Central line platform eastbound at its west end is around 14.7 inches (37cm), while the westbound platform throughout measures approximately 11 inches (30cm).
Piccadilly Circus
The Bakerloo line at Piccadilly Circus on the southbound platform’s north end boasts a whopping 13-inch gap (35cm).
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Meanwhile, the northbound platform’s north end and the southbound platform’s south end gaps measure around 12 inches (32cm).
Waterloo
Waterloo station’s biggest gap is around nine inches (25cm) on the Bakerloo line’s southbound platform at its north end and southbound platform’s south end.
Mansion House
The commuter station in the heart of the City also has one gap that measures around nine inches (25cm), located on the District line eastbound at the western end of the platform.
However, this gap is only thought to be an issue with D stock trains due to the central door position, Horne said.
Paddington
At Paddington Tube station, the largest gap measures little over eight inches (22.5cm).
This gap is located on the northbound Bakerloo line platform at its north end.
While Baker Street station platform gaps are not among the biggest, 160 PTI incidents were recorded at the station alone, according to TfL’s response to a Freedom of Information request.
A TfL spokesperson told Metro: ‘We care deeply about the safety of everyone who uses or works on our transport network, and it is always our top priority.
‘It is neither inevitable nor acceptable that anyone should be killed or seriously injured when travelling in London and we are determined to deliver our Vision Zero target to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries on London’s transport network by 2041.
‘That’s why we are working hard across TfL and taking comprehensive action to ensure our services are safe and that anyone sadly affected by an incident on the network is supported.
'Mind the gap' announcement
The announcement has become such a catchphrase that it’s even been embroidered on hats.
The first announcement was recorded by sound engineer Peter Lodge in 1969, followed by many other voices since.
But the Embankment announcement is different from the others – it is still the voice of actor Oswald Laurence recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but restored.
The tapes first appeared lost forever before TfL staff managed to locate the originals so they could be digitalised and used again – to the delight of Oswald’s widow Margaret McCollum who found that her husband’s voice had been replaced in 2012 after an update.
‘In 2024 we produced our new safety plan which provides a comprehensive approach to reducing customer risk. It includes exploring new technical solutions for further improving platform safety, subject to funding.’
‘Cavernous gaps prevent Tube travel’
Sizeable Tube platform gaps can be particularly dangerous for disabled passengers and even prevent travel, campaigners warned.
Emma Vogelmann, the head of policy at disabled travel charity Transport for All, said large gaps mean some stations can be out of bounds for disabled passengers.
She told Metro: ‘We all want the freedom to get around but disabled people are often prevented from travelling on trains and tubes by cavernous gaps and towering height differences between stations and platforms – there isn’t any consistency.
‘The gap’ can be the difference between us being able to travel independently, having to call staff to lay down ramps, worrying about being tripped up, or being prevented from using the station completely.
‘We need our politicians to mind the gap as much as we do, so that we can all make the journeys we want to.’
Clive Wood, a lead regional policy manager at Guide Dogs, said that while they have been working with TfL to improve accessibility, ‘significant gaps between some Tube trains and platforms remain a serious safety hazard.’
He said: ‘The latest figures on injuries, including the recent incident involving Lord Blunkett, highlight just how dangerous these gaps can be – especially for people with sight loss.
‘No one should have to risk their safety just to use public transport. More investment is needed to modernise infrastructure and ensure these hazards are addressed.’
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