Southern Rail Train Ceiling Collapses On Passengers Inbound To London

Two women were apparently injured.

The beleaguered Southern Rail network has come in for even more grief after two women were struck by a falling ceiling panel aboard a train into London.

Kate Burkes, 28, was onboard the 745am from Tattenham Corner and said the pair suffered some bruising.

She told the BBC: “The woman across from me looked really panicked and then the whole ceiling came down and fell on my shoulder and her shoulder.

“Everyone in the carriage got up and was holding this panel up in the air, and then turned it on its side.”

She added that there appeared to be no station staff at South Croydon so they could not report the incident.

Burkes said: “It was a bit of a shock really, there were no managers there, no one even offered us a cup of tea.

“I just want an apology. Everything is terrible at the moment, even since the strike delays have been carrying on, there are no staff at stations.

“Imagine if it was a baby it fell on, it’s not safe.”

Passengers on the 07:45 service from Tattenham Corner to Victoria apparently had to disembark at East Croydon after the incident.

Another passenger, David Tidey, told the Wandsworth Guardian: “When it pulled in a lady came to the front of the train to speak to the platform operator to say the ceiling had fallen in on people.

“It fell in the front of the second carriage. I got off to take a look, the train eventually left East Croydon but they locked the carriage.”

Southern has apologised for the incident.

Bemused passengers look upon the carnage.
Bemused passengers look upon the carnage.
Kate Baxter/Twitter

A spokesman said: “Reports have been received of a ceiling panel dislodging in one of the carriages on the 07.45 Southern service from Tattenham Corner to Victoria.

“Southern staff at East Croydon station boarded the train to attend to passengers and it was reported at the time that there were no injuries. The cause of this incident is currently unknown and will be investigated fully.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

The network has already been the subject of commuter fury after weeks of disruption because of industrial action and a shortage of staff, which the company blamed on high levels of sickness.

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