Insurance News

Manchester Piccadilly experiences escalator incidents

07th December 2011

A series of incidents on escalators at Manchester Piccadilly station have put the safety of several passengers at risk.

Within the last six months, 21 people have been involved in incidents on escalators at the station, reports the Manchester Evening News.

While none of the accidents that have taken place on the escalator have been particularly serious, they have resulted in bottlenecks whenever a passenger has fallen near the top of the stairs.

The incidents have highlighted the importance of taking out adequate escalator insurance in case a serious incident does occur and someone is injured, or machinery needs to be repaired.

Officials at Manchester Piccadilly station have had to issue a warning to passengers using platform 13 to make sure that they take the utmost care when using the upward escalators to avoid any potential injuries.

A large sign has been placed on the platform at the base of the escalator reading: "Don't become the next accident statistic on this escalator".

Passengers are also urged to make sure that they hold on to the handrails rather than their bags when going up the escalators, while those with luggage were advised to use the lift further down the platform rather than the escalator.

A spokesman for Network Rail - the company that is responsible for overseeing operations at Manchester Piccadilly station - said that many of the accidents were the result of passengers with heavy bags taking the escalator rather than the lift and people tripping over their luggage.

A train passenger who regularly uses the escalator told the Manchester Evening News that the accidents tend to happen during peak travel times when the station is at its busiest.

"Like all stations, it does get pretty busy during rush hour so you can see how it happens and people fall over," the passenger said.

"It's obviously not quite so amusing if you're really busy and tired and on the way back from holiday or wherever and forget to hang onto the rails."

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