Tube driver was taking personal call when train pulled away with disabled passenger's boarding ramp still attached

By FRANCINE WOLFISZ, NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:09, 23 June 2026 | Updated: 18:09, 23 June 2026 A London Overground driver was found to be using their mobile phone while pulling out of a station with a disabled passenger's boarding ramp still attached. The ramp was dragged down the platform, forcing a member of staff and another passenger to move out of the way before it smashed into an end-of-platform barrier and fell beside the track. No one was injured during the frightening near-miss at Norwood Junction station in south London at around 9.52am on July 1 last year. But rail accident investigators said there was a very high risk the ramp could have injured people or collided with platform furniture or railway infrastructure. The portable ramp had been fitted to help a passenger using a mobility scooter board the 9.46am West Croydon to Highbury & Islington service. But before the passenger could get on, the doors closed and the train moved off with the metal ramp still fixed to the side. The passenger, a Norwood resident who regularly used trains for work and appointments, later told investigators they were now using trains less often and suffered severe anxiety when travelling. A Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report found the driver's personal mobile phone was switched on during the shift - and that five calls were made or received while they were driving trains. A London Overground driver was found to be using their mobile phone while pulling out of Norwood Junction station (pictured) with a disabled passenger's boarding ramp still attached The final call covered the journey from West Croydon and included the stop at Norwood Junction where the accident happened. Investigators said the calls were likely to have distracted the driver because they  involved potentially distressing personal issues. The driver initially told Arriva Rail London their personal phone had been off for the entire shift and placed in their bag. But phone records obtained by investigators showed it had been switched on and used during the morning. The report also found the wrong type of ramp had been in use at Norwood Junction, meaning the doors could still close and the train take power while it was attached. The correct ramp had not been available at the station since September 2021, but checks had failed to spot the problem. RAIB has now made six safety recommendations, including better management of portable access ramps and action over the risks of train drivers using mobile phones. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.